Chapter 49 (2/2)

“I can’t be a knight, rather aren’t I too much unlike one?”

It’s a self-deprecating thought

I’ve reached this far by just going with the flow, but I’m uneasy as I feel

myself without an anchor

Actually, I oals

“…… mother, father, what should I do now?”

Even I surprised uard

down because I was alone

Then, as if in response to ht,

and I was suddenly yanked away fro

“…… what?”

I naturally put up uard as I couldn’t wrap my mind around the

situation

But I felt an enormous amount of mana

I pulled out the dagger that I always carry with ic arrays had

already appeared behind me before I noticed them

But seeing the figure that eical array shook me to

the core, the dagger dropped from my hand

A faht

There’s no way I’m mistaken

“……Mo……-ther?”

I ht slowly opened her eyes

And when our eyes ic smile

[…… it’s been a long time]

“…… are you, really my mother?”

I unconciously let out a pathetic voice

The strange, illogical sight in front of me had stolen all my attention

[Yes That’s…… right I was also surprised that this kind of ic exists It

seems that I could talk to you now, even for just a little while]

The laughing voice of my mother was exactly the same as the one from my

memories

Is this a dream?

I can’t believe my own eyes

That the ht in front of

me

But I don’t knohat I’m supposed to say, my words are stuck on my

throat

There are a lot of things I want to say

Even if it’s a phantos in my chest that

I wanted to unload

There’s no way that this could be real

But my weakened heart cannot bear to deny the miracle that occurred

Besides…… I have sos that I have to report first

I was completely drawn in

“Mother, please listen I went to the place where you were born Then, I

Mother’s grave was also built And since father’s town no longer existed,

his name was also included”

I thought she would be pleased with my report

But mother’s expression somehow clouded over, why does she look so

sad?

[I see…… thank you It must have been hard on you]

I was confused, I couldn’t understand theof what my mother

said

“Eh? But hasn’t it always bothered mother? When you were on your

deathbed, didn’t you apologize so much?”

I said that dumbfoundedly Mother closed her eyes and denied

“No, the one that I was apologizing to…… should be you”

“…… me?”

For a moment, I couldn’t comprehend my mother’s voice

For ould she have to apologize to me?

My ive

She had always been kind to me

My mother hesistated for a bit and explained to my confused self, she told

me in a very serene voice

[Yes The world will always look at you with judgemental eyes for simply

lifespans I’m sorry…… you endured a lot of hardshi+ps, didn’t you? …… I’m

really sorry”

My ht be phantom, but her words were immeasurably kind,

and incredibly sad

Have you been concerned over so like that……?

But even so, I still felt down

“…… so…… it was like that I’ood I can only create trouble

Didn’t ave birth to a dark elf?”

I had always been worried about that

Ever since I cas about

the existence called Dark Elf

I had no intention of letting that out of my mouth, but I unconciously said

it

Withlike that, my mother showed an expression that I’ve never

seen before and raised her voice

[That’s not true!]

“Eh?”

[It’s absolutely not true Being your mother had always been my pride

cry……”

My mother reached out for me when she said that

Of course, I can’t touch it

I wasn’t supposed to feel anything on my cheek, but the moment mother

touched it, I could feel a warmth there

It ar down, and I finally realized that they

were my own tears

“……in e,

that you blamed me for that”

The young

[…… that’s wrong I never did No matter what anyone thinks, we love you

That’s why you shouldn’t hate yourself”

“……”

I had always been anxious

On whether or not I had been loved As time passed by, I knew more about

reithin my chest until it was like an illness

Droplets of water fell to the floor one after another

When was the last time that I cried like this?

I feel like I’ve forgotten how to shed tears until now

[It’s okay, because I’ll always be by your side and watching over you Laugh

free when the times are fun, cry freely when it’s sad]

With how she so gently spoke to me, I raised my head

I have to say it properly

I want to be kind like my mother, I want to be proud like my father

“Alright…… but I’er despite it all That’s why

mother should stay by father’s side”

Mother looked at hed in relief

[…… that’s right, but once in a while, it’s fine to show your weakness to

Well then, we’re almost out of time Please thank the person that cast this

I’ve always regretted that I wasn’t able to properly left you so

Please be happy I’m sure that your luck will also come”

“Yes Thank you Farewell, mother”

[Alright, please take care……”

When I reached out, my mother’s hand disappeared like a phantom before

it touched mine

I thought it was lonely, butmother’s hand was certainly

received inside my chest

Perhaps everything was an illusion

However, there was no way that I could think that the words I received

were fake

s i d e Tarou

“I wonder if it all ell…… ”

“…… you’re such a-, just what did you do this time?”

I was spacing out while sitting at the roots of the World Tree when I heard

Kawazu-san’s cry

The rehydration was apparently successful

Since he said that, heon what I had done

Just a frog yet he feigns sleep in one etic in

another

“Ah, are you up, Kawazu-san? Well Naito-san seemed kinda depressed, so I

to cheer up”

“You’ve once again released soic……

then?”

“Ah, I think it ell?”

It seemed like Naito-san had always been concered about her family

It would be great if she would feel a little bit better after this, I thought

can see that he wasn’t amused

“…… but do you really know, Tarou?”

“What?”

“My oh irl’s mother

we know, she disliked her child”

It was only after I was told that, that I just realized the possibility

I felt as if I could hear the blood drain away from my face

Indeed, it was preht

Worst case is if she really was despised, then it wouldn’t be strange if

Naito-san had herself wounded deeper

Why hadn’t I noticed such a basic thing?

I felt nauseated from my own blunder

“……”

“What’s wrong? ……don’t tell that you haven’t even considered that

possibility?”

“…… I-it’s alright, I think? She can’t possibly be holding a grudge, after just

coht? ……”

I said with hesitation, Kawazu-san let out a big sigh and suddenly stood

up, brandishi+ng his arms in front of me

He made fist and beckoned me over

“Hmm, Tarou ……put down your barriers for a moment”

“……roger”

I understood what he meant

I undidmy teeth

Then I was on the receiving end of Kawazu-san’s strong fist I endured the

tears that threatened to spill out

“~~~wu!”

“Well there really was no point in what I did, and I wonder if that girl

shouldn’t do so just because you can do it That’s why I always say

that you don’t think things through”

“……you’re precisely right”

“If you really think you did bad, then be sincere to the person herself”

“……as I should I’ this

would be fine……”

“Definitely”

This tiht

If it didn’t go well, Naito-san ht

have beco more serious

“……what do you think should I do?”

“Just – croak!?”

He was just flailing about and suddenly raised his voice, I hurriedly turned

around and there stood Naito-san

I thought my heart would leap out

Then I jumped to prostrate myself

I was so scared that I can’t even raise my face

However, I slowly lifted my eyes away from my feet, and I stiffened once I

settled on her face

Because her eyes were red fro

“That……”

“……that , wasn’t it?”

“…… I-I admit!”

I was being stared at with such intensity, so I straigtened my spine and sat

upright

“Uo badly? I mean, I’m sorry!”

When I rubbed round, Naito-san lifted her brows

“…… please don’t do those kind of things so abruptly This is the result

from that”

She pointed to her own eyes, and after Naito-san said that, I wanted to die

because of my own idiocy

da extremely serious!

However, just when I was preparing to receive any punishment that may

kill me,

Naito-san suddenly shed

That smile was very beautiful, Kawazu-san was taken in and I couldn’t help

myself either

“However…… I have to thank you Also, I’reatly troubled

negligible, but I swear on ratitude For

now, please take my words for it”

I seeave her

gratitude and apology

“Huh? U to kill me?”

Naito-san shrugged her shoulders to eous question

“…… just what do you takeBut that’s

right……”

Naito-san cleared her throat with a cough I responded by straitening my

spine further

What is the judgement?

I prepared er and said clearly,

“Then for this, I would cease on addressing you with ‘-sa

you Tarou-dono from now on”

My eyes widened when I heard her words

It seeo badly

Looking at Naito-san’s face, even I could tell so

That smile had never been as peaceful as it is now

It felt like it became a wonderful smile

Special thanks to Paul forme this chapter~

T/N: グロイ – I wasn’t sure what this was, so I used google ie search I

regret it I should’ve just guessed One randoe, it really teaches me search for new and mashed-up jap words, hahaha