Dai Densetsu no Yūsha no Densetsu:Volume 3 Chapter 3

Status: Incomplete

20% completed (estimated)

   

The Burden I Shoulder

The horse galloped.

At full speed.

"My butt huuurrrtttttsssssss!"

While yelling, Ryner rode, he rode, for four days, he rode.

Beside him, Ferris, who had also been galloping for the past four days without sleeping, went,

".................................. mumyu ~"

"Hey, don't sleep while ridingggggggggg!"

Ryner yelled at the Ferris who seemed about to slip off her horse.

On hearing that, she opened her eyes suddenly, looked up, and wiped off the little drool from her mouth,

"Hm? What? It's morning?"

"No, it's evening though. Wait, that's not the problem, don't sleep on the horse! It's dangerous."

"I wasn't sleeping."

"I think you were sleeping with half of your body about to fall off."

"I was practicing body-bend riding."

"You're lying!"

"Yeah. A big lie!"

"And you're admitting to it so quickly!"

"Of course. I'm sleepy. And since I'm at my limits, I'm going to nap a little. Let me know when we reach."

"No, I was telling you not to sleep duh."

Ignoring Ryner's holler, she closed her eyes, and with that, she seemed about to slip off the horse again.

"That's why I was saying, don't sleeepppppppppppppppppp!"

Ignoring him, she fell off the horse, and in a splendid manner, she spun a few times in the air and landed on the ground. On top of that, with a soft plod, good night, she said and entered the world of dreams.

Following that, the horse which Ferris had been riding on suddenly became energetic due to the lightened load, and whizzed off.

"Jeez, that fella's such a botherrrrrrrrrrrrrr!"

While yelling, he whipped his horse. With that, he caught up to the horse which Ferris had discarded, and grabbed hold of its reins. And pulled. He stopped the horse, turned it around, and returned to the place where Ferris was sleeping.

Then.

"Hey."

"............"

"Hey, we don't really have time to tarry around. We're already one day late from the appointed day that we're supposed to link up with Kiefer."

"............"

"Hey, we only need to ride for another half a day before we reach our destination, so c'mon? Hey? Ferris. Please."

Without looking at him, she said,

"...... shut up. I'm sleepy. I'm sluggish. Bothersome. Go by yourself."

"Hey, are you me! I'm also sleepy to the point of dying, but, if we don't get our act together, Toale's life will be in danger. So let's do our best for a little bit more, ok?"

On hearing that, Ferris finally got up. She looked up at him with a pained expression,

"But Ryner. For the past four days, I haven't eaten a dango you know? As a person who is a hundred million, two thousand, eight hundred, and ninety-two percent made up of dango, do you think I can continue without any dango?"

At that question, Ryner, with a tired face,

"Wait, so how many percent does your entire body constitute?"

He asked back squarely,

"Who cares about that, just listen to meeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!"

She became really angry.

Ryner smiled wryly and said.

"...... erm, no, well, I know that it's been hard on you to not have eaten any dango for four days, but right now, it's an emergency so bear with it."

"I can't bear with it."

"No, but......"

"I can't bear ----------------------- it! By the way, there's a nice dango shop nearby."

Upon saying that, she suddenly got up energetically, which was unthinkable for a person who was tired from going without sleep for four whole days.

Looking at that, Ryner exclaimed,

"Huuuuuuuuuuhhhhhhhhhhhh!? Eh? Eh? What's this? Is this that? All that ranting about being sleepy and falling off the horse was an act?"

Ferris promptly replied,

"Of course!"

"Don't 'of course' me!"

"Whatever you think about that is not the main issue here!"

Ferris said vehemently.

"............ hahh."

Ryner sighed out.

Even without that, he was already drained. Having fought with that red-haired monster, getting them horses, and riding crazily without sleep.

Riding crazily without sleep on the horses which he had sneaked out of a noble's stables along the way.

He already felt like dying. Not just from the lack of sleep, but more from the pain in his butt.

Indeed, it seems like they would need some rest soon, but......

So as to speak, after working so hard till this point, isn't it ok for him to take about two hundred years' worth of afternoon naps right? Isn't it ok for him to just disappear somewhere and take a long afternoon nap right? A temptation like this started to grow in him, but, Ryner stomped it out and said.

"...... b-but you know Ferris. At the appointed place, Iris will be waiting for us with Wynitt dango......"

But Ferris said.

"Nelpha dango and Roland dango are different things all together."

Her tone became stronger than before,

"...... you're right I guess. Then, erm...... let's take a short break......"

Ryner gave in.

Let's take a short break, Ryner relaxed.

Instantly.

"Woah."

As his strength left him, he almost fell off his horse. Ferris supported him with a hand.

Then.

"See. You're also tired."

"Well...... it's obvious that I'll be tired after riding for four whole days......"

But, he had never thought that he would be so tired. He didn't realize it since he had been keeping his body tensed up all this while, but his body had become abnormally heavy. He immediately understood how it came to be so. It was a consequence of the Estabul magic which he had used to accelerate his movements during his fight with Claugh. That magic, in exchange for granting a period of increased bodily reflexes and ability, will cause the user to feel its weariness later. On top of that, this time round, in order to do something about that red-haired monster, he had seriously overused his body. It was probably the burdens from that which had come to assail him.

However, even those words alone were not enough to convey how heavy his body currently was. Right now, his entire body was enveloped with a level of fatigue that could make him pass out.

Seeing that, Ferris said.

She looked up at him, and somehow, with a slightly angry face, she averted her eyes and said.

"Jeez...... you've overdone it this time. I understand how you feel, but even so, there's a limit to what one person can do. Don't push yourself too much."

In other words.

"............"

It seems to be that.

It seems like all of Ferris's acting, and her willful behavior of wanting to go to a dango shop, were all for the purpose of saying this.

Aah ~, Ryner thought.

He stroked his disheveled bed-hair,

"Aah ~...... erm, sorry."

"Umu."

"Well then, let's go to that dango shop and rest up in the village."

Ferris then said,

"Idiot. There's no dango shop."

"Eh?"

"That's why you're a real idiot."

Upon saying that, for some reason, her face blushed, and in order to mask that, she made an angry face.

Looking intently at that.

"............"

Looking intently at her face,

"...... aah, I see."

Ryner smiled with a troubled look.

Ferris then jumped onto the horse, the horse that Ryner was now riding. With that, she took the reins away from his hand,

"Alright. If your overly stupid brain has understood, it's time to move. We don't have much time. Once we reach there, there will be work waiting for you again. That's why, the idiot can just sleep. I'll wake you when we reach there."

Upon saying that, she started to kick into the horse.

Ryner then frantically said,

"Eh, but Ferris, you haven't slept a wink as well......"

But at that moment,

"Don't worry about that, just sleep, idiot."

Upon saying that, she made a chopping stance with her hand and started sending it into the back of Ryner's neck,

"Eh, no wait, that's bad......"

"Shut up."

"Gyafu."

Instantly.

Ryner lost consciousness.

Darkness spread.

Deep darkness spread.

In that deep darkness.

Ryner was visited by dreams which had missed him for quite some time.

Strangely, they were cheerful dreams.

Sion appeared, and with a face full of mischief,

"Alright Ryner ~. Nap time's over. It's time to get working."

He said.

For some reason, Ferris, who was munching on dango beside him, drew her sword for no good reason,

"Die, you pervertttttttttttt."

She shouted and came beating him.

That was the scenery that was repeating again and again.

With Sion, and Ferris, the three of them.

A dream in which the three of them were making merry in that small office.

There was nothing to worry about there.

There were no lives nor troubles from others to shoulder.

Only a bunch of fools laughing happily.

And he thought.

It'd be nice if such days can go on forever, he thought.

No, he had believed that it would be so.

Such days would go on, even when he was complaining about how unpleasant or bothersome things were, as long as he worked hard, the world would be alright, he had thought.

That's why he was laughing like that.

He had never thought that it would end.

Laughing like an idiot.

Even when he was made to work throughout the night. Even when he was bashed up by her sword.

Ryner had always been laughing happily.

"............"

And he felt a little blessed.

Even though up till now, he had only been laden with tiresome things.

But, after seeing that dream, he felt like doing his best for a little longer and look forward.

Since in his dream, he had been laughing like an idiot with them.

He had been laughing like an idiot from the bottom of his heart.

But, the dream came to an end.

Suddenly, it ended, he realized.

No, perhaps he had realized that right from the start of the dream.

That dream.

"............"

Sadly, that dream was nowhere close to reality.

"............"

But, he wished, for a little bit.

Each time he saw that dream, he'd wish.

Ryner would wish that, if only this bothersome reality could be the dream instead when he open his eyes, and that he could wake up to that noisy office, he would be willing to pay any price.

If he were to open his eyes right now.

If he were to awake from his dream.

And the nightmare would have ended and he could wake up to that noisy office again.

He would not make the same mistake again.

He would not leave Sion to his solitude again.

In order to laugh together.

In order to move forward together, this time round, without feeling bothersome, he would do his best, he thought.

And so, Ryner opened his eyes.

Wishing that he could wake up to that office.

"............"

He opened his eyes......

♦

♦

♦

"............"

When he opened his eyes, they had already reached their destination.

On the land that was very near to the borders between Nelpha and Runa.

There, were gathered tens of thousands of people.

Ryner opened his eyes and straightened his body,

"...... hn? You've awakened?"

From behind him, Ferris, who had been doing the riding, said.

Ryner turned around,

"...... eh? Ah, yeah. I had a good sleep. Thanks, Ferris."

"Umu. I also had a good sleep."

"Hey, what would have happened if you have slept as well."

Upon making that jab, with a slightly tired face,

"Fufufu."

She laughed.

From her face, it was clear that she hadn't really slept at all. Quite unbecoming of her, there were dark circles beneath her eyes. She was clearly very tired. Ryner then began,

"This time, it's your turn to sleep. Leave the rest to......"

But, before he could finish,

"............"

She rested her head on the back of Ryner, and slept.

Ryner smiled, and without letting her body fall off, he supported her with his left hand and once again started the horse galloping.

However, with the throngs of people gathered, they couldn't move very fast.

"............"

He then looked around him.

He looked at the faces of the people gathered here.

Clearly, the people here did not just comprise of soldiers.

Originally, Kiefer was supposed to guide the ten thousand soldiers, who were thrown away as sacrificial pawns by Starnel and later saved by Toale, to this place.

"What on earth is this?"

Ryner said with a troubled face.

Clearly, the commoners who were present here greatly outnumbered the soldiers.

Women, children, as well as the elderly.

A throng of people who couldn't contribute to the fighting strength.

Well, he could probably make a guess as to why they were here.

"...... Toale, that guy sure is popular."

While muttering that, he moved the horse forward.

The people all looked up in a dumbfounded manner at the riders on the advancing horse, at Ryner and the peerless golden hair beauty behind him.

He then asked a question to someone who was clad in military uniform among the people.

"...... ah ~, erm, you are one of the soldiers following Toale right? I have some business with Toale, so do you mind leading us to him?"

On hearing that, the soldier looked up. And he glared at Ryner.

A man who had a piercing gaze. With long light brown hair tied up at the back, and perhaps, due to his unshaven face, he looked to be in his mid-twenties.

He looked up at them and squinted his eyes.

"...... are you Ryner Lute?"

Ryner was surprised at hearing his own name.

"Oh? To know my name, am I perhaps famous around here?"

On hearing that, the man's face contorted,

"I'm Kazaal Selues. A Major. I was given command of ten thousand troops from Prince Starnel and ordered to fend off Roland's forces, but I went against that and am now following Toale-sama."

On hearing those words, Ryner looked again more carefully at this man called Kazaal Selues.

He was of medium build and medium height. A well-trained body with no opening. He's probably quite strong. Well, of course, he can't be compared to that abnormal killing intent from that red-haired muscled idiot though.

However, just from his appearance, he could tell that this fella has some ability. To elaborate on that, to have become a Major in his twenties, this fella must have achieved a number of accomplishments on the battlefield.

That was the reason why Starnel had assigned ten thousand troops to him, and abandoned them.

He had probably thought that this fella would be able to fend off the Roland forces for a while and buy him more time to escape.

Considering that.

A smile surfaced on Ryner.

"...... I'm grateful to Starnel's idiocy."

On hearing that, Selues looked at him with a look of surprise,

"What did you say?"

"No, I was just giving thanks to Starnel's idiocy for throwing away somewhere as capable as you without even batting an eyelid. Thanks to the foolishness of Starnel, the plan I came up with might just go well. By the way, are you popular among your subordinates?"

He asked.

"............"

Selues did not answer. However, even without answering, it was clear.

Ryner looked around him once more.

The soldiers around him all had brightly lit faces. There was not the slightest drop in morale.

After getting abandoned by Starnel, and on top of that having Roland's soldiers on their heels, their current brightly lit faces could not just be attributed to Toale's popularity alone.

Ryner's grin broadened increasingly.

"Unexpectedly, things may just move ahead even without us doing anything."

Toale is popular with the commoners. If both Starnel and Toale were to claim their names to the throne, most of the people would probably follow Toale.

However, this Selues appeared to be very popular with the soldiers.

With this, if Starnel was to continue with his oppression, he would probably end up destroying himself.

If Toale were to rise up, supported by Selues at his side, there was a possibility that the rest of the power-wielding nobles, soldiers, and people would follow him.

If that were to happen.

"............"

Starnel's life would probably be no more. Even without Ryner, Toale, or Roland doing anything.

Thanks to his own foolishness, Starnel would be killed by Imperial Nelpha.

If that were to happen, then there would be no need for Ryner to take the trouble to capture Starnel.

However, the real problem will start from there.

After Starnel's death.

After Toale becomes king.

At that time, Roland will probably be asking for Toale's life.

The current Roland will definitely not allow Toale to live.

That's why in order for Toale to live, there are two choices.

First.

Escape to outside of the country.

Second.

Lead Nelpha's soldiers to fight Roland.

"............"

But the later was out of the question.

Right now, there was no longer any country in the southern part of the continent with enough power to fight the military might of Roland.

Ryner was very well aware of that.

For the past one year, he had always hung around Sion's side.

Working hard together in that office to strengthen Roland.

And in just one year, Roland was totally transformed to something different from before.

Roland was reborn.

Even though Ryner was not directly involved in the military affairs, he could still imagine roughly how much power the current Roland wielded.

To the Nelpha right now, it would be like hitting a rock with an egg.

Well, however, if they were to ally with Runa Empire to resist Roland, then it would be a different story.

"............"

Even for Roland, it would be difficult to face two countries as its opponents, he thought.

However, Runa was an ally of Roland.

As such, Nelpha no longer had any chance of winning. There was no other way other than to surrender.

In other words, for the short term, there was no way but for Toale to first capture Starnel, become the king, and issue a surrender, and before Roland catches him, escape out of the country.

As he unfolded the various development scenarios in his head,

"Aah, this is bothersome."

Upon groaning, Selues nodded.

"Yeah. It's extremely bothersome. That's why there's not much time left. According to Kiefer Knolles, you are supposed to have arrived yesterday. What in the world were you doing?"

Ryner's face turned serious at that and he looked at Selues.

"Sorry we're late. Even though we were already rushing all the way here, it was my calculation mistake. But, I'm not going to make another mistake hereon. I'll save this country, and save Toale's life. So can you lead us to Toale?"

Selues then grabbed hold of the reins of Ryner's horse and led them.

"Here."

"Right."

Once again, the horse started off slowly.

Ahead of where Seleus was leading them, was a small tent. Outside of that tent, was a familiar group, made up of a golden hair girl, a black hair boy and his childhood girl friend, playing.

Iris, Arua, and Kuku.

At that moment, Iris noticed Ryner's group.

"Ah ~! Wild Beast-kun ~!"

She shouted.

Arua then turned towards here as well,

"Ryner-sensei!"

Following that, the tent opened, and out came Kiefer, with her hand waving.

Ryner then waved back at her, and lastly......

A man around the same age of Ryner came out of the tent. With brown hair and a kind face. However, compared to the time he met him a year ago, the face was more drawn. It was filled with more fatigue.

Just from that, he could see what he had been through for the past few weeks.

Ryner smiled at Toale.

And in response to that.

"............"

Toale returned with a wry, troubled smile.

Ryner then turned around.

"Hey, Ferris."

"............"

"Ferris, wake up. We have reached. There should be a bed somewhere, go sleep there."

On hearing that, without opening her eyes,

"Hah ~, then, carry me there."

"Walk on your own."

"Carry me there like a princess."

"Huuuuhhhhhhhh? Huuhhhhhh? You, with so many people looking......"

But, upon saying that, she grabbed hold of Ryner's neck. And while strangling him,

"You're so annoying. If you dare wake me again...... I'll kill you, get it?"

As she said that, her fingers seemed to be really crushing Ryner's neck,

"Hey, I get itttttttt! Whether is it like a princess or groom, I'll carry you so don't kill me."

"Um. Then, please carry on. I'll be going back to sleep."

"......................... jeez."

Ryner sighed out loudly, and following that, he dismounted the horse. After that, he brought down Ferris, who had descended into deep sleep.

Then, in her desired princess cradle fashion, he carried the bothersome princess,

"A princesssssssssssssss!"

Iris made a jab as she clung to Ferris's chest.

The weight of the two people on Ryner's hip. His hip seemed about to sprain. He really felt like killing the two troublesome sisters.

But.

"...... uhwu, I have to bear with it until I get her to a bed. Do your best, Ryner. I'll be able to relax when she sleeps......"

He encouraged himself, and started walking.

Following that, Kiefer came to him.

"............"

While staring at him, she smiled kindly.

But, somehow, it was different from the smile just now. She was looking intently at him with a somewhat, transfixed, biting gaze, and softly,

"...... princess cradle."

"Eh? What?"

"Nothing."

"But you know, these two people are really heavy...... hey, Kiefer, can you help me?"

Ryner asked, to which Kiefer said,

"Nope."

"Eh?"

"No way."

"Erm......"

But, at that moment, she grinned,

"Just kidding ~. It was a joke, a joke. I'll help you. The past few days have been tough on you guys right? You're tired right?"

While saying that, she supported Ryner's arms, and pushed upwards. With that, his burden lessened.

"Oh, that really helps."

"That's great."

"Thanks."

"Yeah!"

Kiefer acknowledged happily.

Following that, Ryner once again looked in front of him, at Toale.

For some reason, with a seemingly bad mood, he was looking at him --- rather, at Kiefer.

"Hn? What's wrong, Toale?"

On hearing Ryner's words, his face turned to one of surprise,

"Eh? Umm...... ah ~, no, nothing. Long time no see, Ryner-san."

"Long time no see."

Upon saying that, Ryner wanted to wave his hands, but realizing that both his arms were encumbered, he merely nodded his head at him.

Toale then rushed up to him.

"Do you need help?"

"Yeah, can you help me with the top one."

Toale nodded, and lifted up Iris, who had been clinging to Ferris's chest.

Iris's face then lit up,

"Wah! It's high, are you bringing me higher!? Iris loves that!"

On hearing that, Toale lifted Iris up and down. Following that, he looked at Ryner,

"Well Ryner-san, I would have never expected to reunite with you under such circumstances."

Ryner nodded as well. He smiled wryly at the tight-fitting, seemingly unsuitable military uniform that Toale was wearing.

"Yeah. I've never thought so either. So as to speak, it became something real bothersome."

Following that, Toale opened the entrance to the tent. Inside was a simple bed, and he pointed to it,

"Over there."

"Yeah."

Ryner nodded as he carried Ferris there. He put Ferris down on the bed, and hugging the pillow, she slept comfortably.

"Thanks for your hard work."

Ryner then said smilingly.

Following that, once again, Kiefer looked at him with a slightly angry face.

Ryner cocked his head to the side.

"So, what's wrong?"

Status: Incomplete

20% completed (estimated)

   

---

Translator's Notes and References

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