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The Uncle and the Past
Sitting on a cart and enjoying the two o’clock afternoon sun really was an extremely satisfying thing to do.
Arai Hifumi once said that independence starts from a person travelling on their own. But even though right now, I was travelling with Little Elan and the others, I still felt like I was on my own. I’m definitely not complaining tearfully about my loneliness. It’s just that yesterday, I heard a thing about my past from Bone. Little Elan and the others can never know about it.
Thinking about this secret, I immediately felt like an impenetrable wall had appeared between me and the surroundings.
When I was saying goodbye to Bone yesterday, I took off my scarf and cloak and asked Bone if he knew my face.
HIs expression from that time was still fresh in my mind.
Bone stared blankly, like he didn’t dare to believe his eyes. He used a stiff fingers to rub his deep set eye sockets. HIs body also started to sway. I worried that the aged Bone could not support himself, that the surprise had sent him into shock.
“You——didn’t die?”
After a long time, his voice was excited as he asked.
“I died.”
I spoke crisply. Afterwards, I succinctly explained what had happened.
Dying in my original world, waking up to discover that I had been reborn in a new world. This body was not mine, but belonged to some other person’s. I have never spoken of this matter to anyone, even Little Elan, and I intend to bring it to the grave. But right now, it’s different. As a travelling businessman, I had to confirm my situation, at the very least.
It had always been that the more intelligence, the better. Moreover, Uncle Bone was a very reliable person.
“Hero Leon. That is your original name. One of the elite from the First Expedition Regiment, renowned for using super speed. After you retired, you were killed by someone near here. I an old geezer had only heard that his corpse had disappeared. I didn’t think that it would because of this reason. Has no one recognized you in these two years?”
“Because I always stayed at the village without going out, there wasn’t any sort of problem. What’s more, my personality changed a lot, so generally no one would have seen the similarity.”
However, I didn’t think that the former owner of this body was a hero.
What was more worrying was that there was an existence in this word that could kill Leon. Regardless of the method used, the results were to be seen. There existed an opponent that this body could not beat. The elite that Uncle Bone had mentioned before had been another person. That said, although the war right now had relaxed a lot, but we cannot rule the possibility of there being attacked by a strength too formidable to retaliate against.
To have such a person in this world that is after my life, that I also could not be victorious over, made me very on edge and nervous.
If there was a day I had to face an enemy that I could not beat in battle, I really did not want for Little Elan and the others to get involved. Thus, this matter had to be hidden from them.
I stared at the sky blankly, while Mademoiselle Phantom was passing through in and out of the cart next to me.
Because she did not have a body, she could easily pass through the cart, and could also easily pass through my body.
It’s a different feeling from being possessed. I did not feel anything when she passed through me.
Of course, I didn’t have any thoughts of sneaking a peek below her skirt when she flew up high. Definitely did not have these kinds of thoughts.
Today, early in the morning, I specially went to Bayerman’s prison. His whole body was wrapped in bandages. And he didn’t have any arms. I heard that he had been given the death penalty. Before me, he was lying on his bed, staring blankly at the ceiling.
Several flies were circling around his body. Although measures to stop the blood had been taken, the stench of blood still leaked out.
“Sorry.”
I said.
“Che, you’re trying to apologize at this point in time? Feeling guilty about saving me?”
“That’s not it.”
He violently spit out.
“What fake morals.”
Afterwards, he took a deep breath.
“I don’t know how to express myself. I will be dying soon, so I can’t not say anything either. You didn’t do anything wrong. Ever since I had started on this path, I anticipated that this day would come. To not die in peace and benevolence, but by the hands of another person. But I couldn’t stop. The pleasure from pillaging and raping women was like a fucking drug addiction, so it’s fine for me to die. But if I didn’t touch your woman, then my heart would also not be comfortable. Of course, I didn’t actually touch your own women.”
He looked below his own waist.
“You, youngster, were quite full of hatred.”
I didn’t know what I could say that would be okay. He turned his body to face inwards.
“It’s not good that you hold my life in your hands, but it is also retribution. I have done too many bad things. I need to die.”
“Birds cry out before death; men speak kindly before death.”
I said in a low voice.
“Okay, you have some education in literary art. Go away, go away. I have rested well and ate my fill and will be on my way.”
Right now, I was using my arms as a pillow, watching the lively Mademoiselle Phantom.
“Is everything alright like this?”
I muttered.
“Yes. Everything’s good. Didn’t you tell me, Zhai He, the the future is more important?”
“Ah, that’s true.”
Mademoiselle Phantom smiled.
“When I was possessing Little Elan’s body, I felt an aura of incomparable despair. It even made me afraid. The body would not listen to commands. But even so, you saved her. Right now, she has become stronger. I also think that I might’ve also been saved by you.”
I closed my eyes and a soft breeze drifted through my hair.
I want to learn the strongest forging, and become stronger than I am at present. I want to use this body well, and protect everyone well.
Hero Leon, you and I are not alike.
Your goal was to overthrow the Demon King, but I have not a whit of interest towards such a venture.
But there is at least one point where we are the same.
Wanting to work hard to protect the people next to you, this is a trait that we both possessed for real.
For this reason, Hero Leon, I will inherit your will. The karma of your past, I will do my utmost to help cut you from it.
Thanks for the chapter. I love this story.
Thank you very much!
thanks for the chapter