「Chapter 033」
Translator: Silver
Before I realized it, I was standing in an empty meadow.
That was my first memory after coming here.
Yet, I spent this life chasing after memories from the past.
I didn’t know if it was funny or sad.
I couldn’t understand it.
You prepared beautiful clothes for me.
I had many nice accessories.
Everyone said things like “You’re beautiful” and “It’s amazing” whenever I dress up.
But I don’t remember who gave me these things or said those compliments.
There was a gaping person-shaped hole in my memories.
Hey, just who are you?
Why were you so kind to me?
Even though you gave me so many things, I can’t return anything.
＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊
My consciousness surfaced.
As I sit up, I felt a similar sensation of slowly rising from deep water before stretching.
I had that dream again.
The dream about the moment I first arrived.
Before I reached the place the sun went, I wandered through meadows, through streets, and through different men.
Everyone says I’m beautiful.
Although they were the exact words from back then, they didn’t have the same effect.
They were like hearing a song that reminded me of my hometown.
But, I didn’t have a hometown.
“Well, let’s get to work.”
＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊
“Good morning, mother.”
When I got to the dining room, my daughters sitting at the long table greeted me in unison.
They all looked the same age as me, but I’m the mother that has lived for many years.
A mother that takes everyone in and teaches them how to live firmly.
“Good morning. What’s today’s breakfast?”
“Broccoli salad, ratatouille, and bread.”
“Impressive, it looks very delicious. Then, everyone, take a seat.”
Come, let’s be together, everyone.
“Thank you for the food.”
Today was the annual gathering of lords, so all of the neighboring feudal lords would be visiting the city.
It was time.
Everyone was applying their make-up at the table in preparation for tonight’s festivities.
Even I was preparing myself for the decisive battle.
Once more, I will protect them.
My cute girls could eat today’s meal with peace of mind.
＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊
“Welcome, everyone. I would like to thank you for visiting our ‘Promise Maiden’ today.”
“It’s the Grand Matron! Thank you for personally greeting me. I brought some important guests from Endresia. Today, I hope these guests can be given the best hospitality available.”
“Well, this is truly an honor. We will do our utmost to entertain you and your party. But, don’t forget the rules.”
“Of course. When it comes to your daughters, ‘no physical contact. Don’t try to court them. And only you’re heart can be taken..’ right?”
“Yes. Only if two hearts communicate with each other can I part with one of my daughters.”
“Hahaha, your daughters are quite strong. A few of my soldiers tried to capture their hearts only to be chased off in the end.”
“Fufu, please come in.”
Lord.
Like I protected my home, he was a father who watches over everything in his territory.
He was an understanding person who accepts my conditions, which were a bit firm nowadays.
He visited my home today.
To entertain important guests, he chose to bring them to my house.
Then, as a patriarch, it’s my job to fulfill my role.
“Thank you for coming today. My name is ‘―――,’ the mother of these girls, may I ask your name?”
＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊
We’re here! We finally took our first step in the nation of Semifinal!
After our long trek, we finally made it to Semifinal.
This was Endia, the northernmost port city, and gateway to the rest of the country.
In terms of naming conventions, the name of the country and city wouldn’t be out of place on an RPG’s final map.
I’m sure they sell powerful equipment here.
“Well, it seems like a quiet port town that it’ll be easy to relax in.”
“What’s the matter?”
“It’s nothing.”
This place was like a town that existed entirely outside a window. There weren’t many inns or stores present.
Before we arrived, I was informed that there was a larger city nearby.
The sun was still high in the sky, and if we could catch a carriage, we’d arrive there before sunset.
“Nii-chan, are you gonna fish on the wharf? We’re gonna stay the night here before leaving.”
“I’m sorry, but I’m in a bit of a hurry.”
“I see, what a shame. Nill-chan’s meals were the best…… I hope to meet you again.”
After declining the offer, the fishermen reluctantly parted ways with us.
Honestly, I was in that much of a hurry, but I couldn’t afford to drag this trip out either.
First, we headed to the local guild to find a means of transportation.
The Adventurer’s Guild provided a wide range of support functions. In addition to managing the request applications and payouts, purchased monster parts, catered a list carriage schedules, and offered an introduction to a wide variety of inns.
In the past, such generous services weren’t available, but things changed once Oink became president.
Honestly, that pig did good work.
“Should we make an offering before getting a carriage. I have fish and some fishing equipment.”
“You say offering, but in our case, we’re just depositing it in the warehouse, right? I feel like I’m deceiving everybody, and that makes me feel bad…….”
Local fishermen offered fish to the shrine, either as a prayer for a big catch or out of gratitude.
I’ll have that later, thank you!
“Excuse me, I’m looking for a carriage that can leave today.”
“Thank you for coming. Are you registered with the guild? If you’re a member of the guild, you can get a discount.”
“Ah, yes.”
Now, how will the neighboring country react to my card?
“HYE! P-Please, forgive me! We will arrange a dedicated carriage immediately! Um…… Lord Welde, the feudal lord who governs this district, is currently conducting an inspection here…….”
The effect was outstanding.
It seems that Oink has already notified the surrounding guilds.
If there were magic tools that allowed for long-distance communication, couldn’t she contact Daria and Syun?
……Ah, Oink did say something about that county was outside her jurisdiction, so I guess it was impossible?
“Rue, what do you what to do? For the time being, you and I are on equal terms with this lord.”
“Hmm……I don’t have any good memories dealing with them, but I wonder if he’s a good person?”
“We’re gonna be active in this country for a while, so it couldn’t hurt to sell our face. Let’s meet them.”
＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊
After a short wait, we were lead to a private room upstairs.
This lord owned this port town, the surrounding coast, the neighboring city, and the nearby forest.
As this port was the gateway to this county, the lord had to be a capable man if he was entrusted with its management.
“Excuse me, guild chief, lord Welde. We brought the SS-rank adventurers from Endresia, Kaivon, and Rue.”
“Oh, please come in.”
“Huh?! Aren’t those two the topic of our discussion?!”
The voice of two seemingly good-natured men could be heard from within the office.
As I passed through the doorway, I saw an old man and a slightly overweight man sitting across a chessboard.
“Oh, you are the two adventurers lord Oink is enthusiastic about! My name is Lant, the guild chief entrusted with this branch.”
“Similarly, I am Brooke Welde, the active feudal lord of this region. No, no, what’s with these two youngsters?”
“No, I heard they were people from the Genesis. You’re a strapping young man compared to them.” (T/N: A bit of a throw away line, but I like the idea that certain well-informed people are aware that there are thousands of powerful age-less beings wondering the world.)
“What! Forgive my rudeness.”
They were like friendly older relatives.
It felt awkward to interact with them, but I got the impression that they were good caretakers.
Many people disliked relatives like these, but I quite like them.
It’s fun listening to their various stories when enjoying a cup of sake……
The pair seemed to be on good terms and were quick to correct one another.
“Muu, are you calling me a grandmother? My heart is…… eternally twenty years old.”
“Why did you hesitate to say that? There’s no problem with you two treating us as the younger ones.”
In the first place, I’m a young man that has live one year here and twenty-eight years before that.
If you say you’re a young person, then you are one.
“Sorry for interfering with your inspection and meeting. Given the circumstances, I thought it’d be a good idea to introduce myself.”
“I don’t mind! I get to enjoy playing chess with Rand every month. The meeting is just a formality.”
“Hey, Brooke-dono…… Kavion-dono, do you mind keeping this a secret from Oink-sama?”
“Hahaha, Oink-sama won’t raise a fuss about this. Anyway, let’s move on to the task at hand.”
The two people begin to harmoniously discuss various reports about the guild and recent occurrences in the region.
Occasionally I would join in and try to get as much information about this country as possible.
“In other words, spring is coming earlier than usual.”
“That’s right. The winds blowing from Endresia are somewhat warmer than average.”
That wasn’t my fault, was it?
“Maybe it’s because the wind from northern Endresia is hotter than usual this year. That’s what Oink said after her recent trip to Saltberg.”
“Let’s observe the situation for a bit longer before informing the farmers.”
“However, it may be necessary to readjust the schedule of the harvest festival and the upcoming Seven Star festival…….”
“Isn’t this a good problem to have? If it’s warm, it’ll increase this season’s yield.”
“And it stabilizes the tax revenue, so doesn’t that mean you can play around some more? Such a bad word.”
“Hahahahaha.”
……Isn’t this my fault?
After that, I learned that the capital city was located near the center of this country. Also, the regional feudal lords had an annual meeting that occurred in conjunction with a large celebration of the Seven Stars.
The star that had been released in this country was a giant dragon named 『Precede Dragon』.
It seemed to correspond with the first star. One of the old seven stars was a rare variant of a 『Duster Dragon』monster.
Well, it was a rare variant I defeated once before.
……I couldn’t just subdue this Precede Dragon, right?
Apparently, all it did was fly around the nation, scatter plant-life enriching lights this time of year, and then sleep on the mountain it was once sealed on for a month.
I’m somewhat disappointed that it was acting like a nature god.
“Oh, it’s almost time! Kaivon-dono, Rue-dono, you said you wanted to reach the next city before nightfall, right? How about traveling with me?”
“I hope this won’t be an inconvenience. Thank you for your offer.”
Thank you, Bo-kun, this really helps us.”
Bo-kun?
「Chapter 033」
Translator: Silver
Before I realized it, I was standing in an empty meadow.
That was my first memory after coming here.
Yet, I spent this life chasing after memories from the past.
I didn’t know if it was funny or sad.
I couldn’t understand it.
You prepared beautiful clothes for me.
I had many nice accessories.
Everyone said things like “You’re beautiful” and “It’s amazing” whenever I dress up.
But I don’t remember who gave me these things or said those compliments.
There was a gaping person-shaped hole in my memories.
Hey, just who are you?
Why were you so kind to me?
Even though you gave me so many things, I can’t return anything.
＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊
My consciousness surfaced.
As I sit up, I felt a similar sensation of slowly rising from deep water before stretching.
I had that dream again.
The dream about the moment I first arrived.
Before I reached the place the sun went, I wandered through meadows, through streets, and through different men.
Everyone says I’m beautiful.
Although they were the exact words from back then, they didn’t have the same effect.
They were like hearing a song that reminded me of my hometown.
But, I didn’t have a hometown.
“Well, let’s get to work.”
＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊
“Good morning, mother.”
When I got to the dining room, my daughters sitting at the long table greeted me in unison.
They all looked the same age as me, but I’m the mother that has lived for many years.
A mother that takes everyone in and teaches them how to live firmly.
“Good morning. What’s today’s breakfast?”
“Broccoli salad, ratatouille, and bread.”
“Impressive, it looks very delicious. Then, everyone, take a seat.”
Come, let’s be together, everyone.
“Thank you for the food.”
Today was the annual gathering of lords, so all of the neighboring feudal lords would be visiting the city.
It was time.
Everyone was applying their make-up at the table in preparation for tonight’s festivities.
Even I was preparing myself for the decisive battle.
Once more, I will protect them.
My cute girls could eat today’s meal with peace of mind.
＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊
“Welcome, everyone. I would like to thank you for visiting our ‘Promise Maiden’ today.”
“It’s the Grand Matron! Thank you for personally greeting me. I brought some important guests from Endresia. Today, I hope these guests can be given the best hospitality available.”
“Well, this is truly an honor. We will do our utmost to entertain you and your party. But, don’t forget the rules.”
“Of course. When it comes to your daughters, ‘no physical contact. Don’t try to court them. And only you’re heart can be taken..’ right?”
“Yes. Only if two hearts communicate with each other can I part with one of my daughters.”
“Hahaha, your daughters are quite strong. A few of my soldiers tried to capture their hearts only to be chased off in the end.”
“Fufu, please come in.”
Lord.
Like I protected my home, he was a father who watches over everything in his territory.
He was an understanding person who accepts my conditions, which were a bit firm nowadays.
He visited my home today.
To entertain important guests, he chose to bring them to my house.
Then, as a patriarch, it’s my job to fulfill my role.
“Thank you for coming today. My name is ‘―――,’ the mother of these girls, may I ask your name?”
＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊
We’re here! We finally took our first step in the nation of Semifinal!
After our long trek, we finally made it to Semifinal.
This was Endia, the northernmost port city, and gateway to the rest of the country.
In terms of naming conventions, the name of the country and city wouldn’t be out of place on an RPG’s final map.
I’m sure they sell powerful equipment here.
“Well, it seems like a quiet port town that it’ll be easy to relax in.”
“What’s the matter?”
“It’s nothing.”
This place was like a town that existed entirely outside a window. There weren’t many inns or stores present.
Before we arrived, I was informed that there was a larger city nearby.
The sun was still high in the sky, and if we could catch a carriage, we’d arrive there before sunset.
“Nii-chan, are you gonna fish on the wharf? We’re gonna stay the night here before leaving.”
“I’m sorry, but I’m in a bit of a hurry.”
“I see, what a shame. Nill-chan’s meals were the best…… I hope to meet you again.”
After declining the offer, the fishermen reluctantly parted ways with us.
Honestly, I was in that much of a hurry, but I couldn’t afford to drag this trip out either.
First, we headed to the local guild to find a means of transportation.
The Adventurer’s Guild provided a wide range of support functions. In addition to managing the request applications and payouts, purchased monster parts, catered a list carriage schedules, and offered an introduction to a wide variety of inns.
In the past, such generous services weren’t available, but things changed once Oink became president.
Honestly, that pig did good work.
“Should we make an offering before getting a carriage. I have fish and some fishing equipment.”
“You say offering, but in our case, we’re just depositing it in the warehouse, right? I feel like I’m deceiving everybody, and that makes me feel bad…….”
Local fishermen offered fish to the shrine, either as a prayer for a big catch or out of gratitude.
I’ll have that later, thank you!
“Excuse me, I’m looking for a carriage that can leave today.”
“Thank you for coming. Are you registered with the guild? If you’re a member of the guild, you can get a discount.”
“Ah, yes.”
Now, how will the neighboring country react to my card?
“HYE! P-Please, forgive me! We will arrange a dedicated carriage immediately! Um…… Lord Welde, the feudal lord who governs this district, is currently conducting an inspection here…….”
The effect was outstanding.
It seems that Oink has already notified the surrounding guilds.
If there were magic tools that allowed for long-distance communication, couldn’t she contact Daria and Syun?
……Ah, Oink did say something about that county was outside her jurisdiction, so I guess it was impossible?
“Rue, what do you what to do? For the time being, you and I are on equal terms with this lord.”
“Hmm……I don’t have any good memories dealing with them, but I wonder if he’s a good person?”
“We’re gonna be active in this country for a while, so it couldn’t hurt to sell our face. Let’s meet them.”
＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊
After a short wait, we were lead to a private room upstairs.
This lord owned this port town, the surrounding coast, the neighboring city, and the nearby forest.
As this port was the gateway to this county, the lord had to be a capable man if he was entrusted with its management.
“Excuse me, guild chief, lord Welde. We brought the SS-rank adventurers from Endresia, Kaivon, and Rue.”
“Oh, please come in.”
“Huh?! Aren’t those two the topic of our discussion?!”
The voice of two seemingly good-natured men could be heard from within the office.
As I passed through the doorway, I saw an old man and a slightly overweight man sitting across a chessboard.
“Oh, you are the two adventurers lord Oink is enthusiastic about! My name is Lant, the guild chief entrusted with this branch.”
“Similarly, I am Brooke Welde, the active feudal lord of this region. No, no, what’s with these two youngsters?”
“No, I heard they were people from the Genesis. You’re a strapping young man compared to them.” (T/N: A bit of a throw away line, but I like the idea that certain well-informed people are aware that there are thousands of powerful age-less beings wondering the world.)
“What! Forgive my rudeness.”
They were like friendly older relatives.
It felt awkward to interact with them, but I got the impression that they were good caretakers.
Many people disliked relatives like these, but I quite like them.
It’s fun listening to their various stories when enjoying a cup of sake……
The pair seemed to be on good terms and were quick to correct one another.
“Muu, are you calling me a grandmother? My heart is…… eternally twenty years old.”
“Why did you hesitate to say that? There’s no problem with you two treating us as the younger ones.”
In the first place, I’m a young man that has live one year here and twenty-eight years before that.
If you say you’re a young person, then you are one.
“Sorry for interfering with your inspection and meeting. Given the circumstances, I thought it’d be a good idea to introduce myself.”
“I don’t mind! I get to enjoy playing chess with Rand every month. The meeting is just a formality.”
“Hey, Brooke-dono…… Kavion-dono, do you mind keeping this a secret from Oink-sama?”
“Hahaha, Oink-sama won’t raise a fuss about this. Anyway, let’s move on to the task at hand.”
The two people begin to harmoniously discuss various reports about the guild and recent occurrences in the region.
Occasionally I would join in and try to get as much information about this country as possible.
“In other words, spring is coming earlier than usual.”
“That’s right. The winds blowing from Endresia are somewhat warmer than average.”
That wasn’t my fault, was it?
“Maybe it’s because the wind from northern Endresia is hotter than usual this year. That’s what Oink said after her recent trip to Saltberg.”
“Let’s observe the situation for a bit longer before informing the farmers.”
“However, it may be necessary to readjust the schedule of the harvest festival and the upcoming Seven Star festival…….”
“Isn’t this a good problem to have? If it’s warm, it’ll increase this season’s yield.”
“And it stabilizes the tax revenue, so doesn’t that mean you can play around some more? Such a bad word.”
“Hahahahaha.”
……Isn’t this my fault?
After that, I learned that the capital city was located near the center of this country. Also, the regional feudal lords had an annual meeting that occurred in conjunction with a large celebration of the Seven Stars.
The star that had been released in this country was a giant dragon named 『Precede Dragon』.
It seemed to correspond with the first star. One of the old seven stars was a rare variant of a 『Duster Dragon』monster.
Well, it was a rare variant I defeated once before.
……I couldn’t just subdue this Precede Dragon, right?
Apparently, all it did was fly around the nation, scatter plant-life enriching lights this time of year, and then sleep on the mountain it was once sealed on for a month.
I’m somewhat disappointed that it was acting like a nature god.
“Oh, it’s almost time! Kaivon-dono, Rue-dono, you said you wanted to reach the next city before nightfall, right? How about traveling with me?”
“I hope this won’t be an inconvenience. Thank you for your offer.”
Thank you, Bo-kun, this really helps us.”
Bo-kun?
