Choking, I leapt to my feet. That’s right, I leapt to my feet. In order to let my body know that the heaviness it felt right now was a reality. As a result, I groaned from the pain that reflexively coursed through my body.
I had trouble breathing from the pain and was crouching, when I felt someone’s hand gently touch my back. Out of all the thoughts I had, I hadn’t expected anyone to be around, so I was startled. Recalling that there wasn’t anyone to the left, I turned in that direction, holding my breath as my body was still wracked with pain.
For a moment, I stopped breathing and was unable to comprehend anything. Seeing the surprised look on my face, the other person laughed. Becoming terrified once again, I turned my face away with all my strength and groaned again from the pain.
… That’s enough! Learn from it, yo!!
「Ah, are you alright? You’ve been asleep for three days, so you shouldn’t move so suddenly! In the first place, you’ve got an awful injury. Hey! Lie down slowly」
Once again, I examined the person who supported my body and laid me down.
It was a terrifying large man, with short red hair and red-brown eyes. He was a muscularly built o- … -ji-san*. Yup. He looked like he was in his early forties, therefore he couldn’t be an onii-san. Just a glance at his inverted triangular body was already frightening. Looking up at him from below, his large stature coupled with the feeling of oppression was impressive.
「Aa-kaff-kaff*」
When I tried to thank him for propping me up into a lying position, my throat was blocked by the violent coughing. I was at a loss for words as the coughing fits, as well as the intense pain in my body continued.
「Ah… you been asleep for three days, so that’s bound to happen. Just wait here for a minute」
Saying that, he stroked my head gently before leaving my side. It seems he had gone to the nearby table to fetch some water. At the same time, he also picked up some pills that were near it.
Coming back with the water in his hand, he lifted me and propped me up, bringing the cup against my lips and slowly tilted it.
「Look, drink this slowly! Don’t be so impatient.
After your throat’s settled down, swallow this too. It’s a painkiller」
As he said, I slowly swallowed the water a sip at a time. I bore with it because when I first took a drink, I almost choked on a mouthful of water. Somehow, swallowing the water slowly calmed me down. It was extremely delicious. Although all things considered, my throat … No, my body probably just wanted water.
Feeling relieved, I let out a sigh as I laid down again.
For some reason, I didn’t have a good feeling about the medicine that he had brought over, so I didn’t take it. If I’m unable to bear with the pain anymore, then I’ll swallow it.
「Thank you very much. If my pain gets any worst than this, I will gladly take the medicine」
I formally convey my gratitude to the muscular oji-san. When I said this, his eyes opened wide in what I believed to be astonishment. Wearing a very kind smile on his face, he tenderly stroked my head.
「Impressive! Despite being tiny, you’re able to properly say your gratitude」
… Ah, because I’m currently six? My senses as a twenty-six year old male strongly dominates the other half, so I’ve yet to adjust myself successfully.
「Now~~then, would you be alright to speak for a bit? 」
Removing his hand that he used to stroke my head, the oji-san scratched his head as he waited for my reply.
「Yes. As long as I’m lying down, it should be fine」
At my brief words, he let out a sigh in relief and began to speak.
「In that case, that’s great. First of all, my name is Mooks. I’m sixty-four years old.
This is my workplace. It would have been fine to leave you at home, but you would have been alone while I was at work. As it didn’t seem like a wise idea, I brought ya here instead.
I found you at the slum quarters… that’s two sections away from here. You were worn out because of a high fever and it would have been terrible if you had stayed in that condition whilst asleep, so I took you with me」
When he said sixty-four, I did a double take. Why, he most certainly didn’t look like it. At most, he looked like he was in his late forties… Unintentionally, I stared at him absentmindedly, but quickly came back to my senses.
「I apologise for everything. It seems I’ve troubled you.
My name is …… mm. It’s … Asnord.
So this means Mooks-san stayed here at the workplace for three days and you’ve yet to return home? I’m so sorry about that! Ugh.」
Mooks-san stopped me when I tried to get up to bow despite groaning from the pain.
「Don’t get up, you. Feel the wound. Haa. Your fever still hasn’t gone down.
Leaving that aside, are you a noble? That mannerisms, the way ya speak … compared to the clothes you wore when I picked you up— Ahh~ you used to be one, weren’t ya?」
I averted my eyes when I heard those awkward last words.
「No, I’m not. The way I speak … Ah ~ Well, there are reasons for it.
Right now, I’m a … hnn~abandoned child … No, a vagrant? Or rather I’m a street child*?」
Yeah, was it that strange that I’m now an abandoned child? But I was abandoned. How should I put it. The closest term would be a street child.
Mooks-san seemed to be dumbfounded when I answered hesitatingly.
「Haa? Suto … Stree–?? What’s that. Well enough about that. How about you tell me the circumstances that led to this??」
Seeing Mooks-san become uncomfortable while speaking, I unconsciously let out a laugh. He appeared to be an awfully gentle person whose looks didn’t suit him at all.
「Ok. Since I’m already in your care, it wouldn’t do to not explain the situation.
Where’s a good spot to begin from…」
My memories were currently a bit jumbled up and I wasn’t able to grasp the situation properly. Taking a breather, I calmed myself down before I began.
Mooks-san watched me intently with a serious look on his face. It’s a secret that it was … a bit scary …
「I was born in a household that was certainly a little bit richer than the average. It is a bit hard to imagine seeing that I’ve become this now.
I am currently six; when I was three years old, both my parents passed away.
From then on, my relatives began passing me around until finally, they abandoned me at that place where Mooks-san had picked me up from」
That’s right. Since my parents passed away, the money had been exhausted and as there wasn’t any merit left, it was concluded that it was better for me to die so they could usurp my rank, thus I was abandoned. It was really merciless compared to all the violence I usually received.
「That’s outrageous. Three years old… You were so young yet they passed you around for three years」
Seeing Mooks-san’s extremely sorrowful face, I said “I’m alright” and smiled.
「Well, the first year my parents passed away, there should have been some inheritance which they had somehow obtained. Only, they sold the articles and the house so the fortune began to deplete. That was when they began to treat me violently.
But as long as I had a roof over my head, it didn’t matter one way or another, so I did as I was told and worked. However, even that came to an end two years later」
After I touched upon the subject of my fortune, Mooks-san became visibly upset. I’m sure he was upset for my sake. He really was a gentle person.
*fuu* Taking a rest, I stared at Mooks-san seriously.
Sensing something, Mooks-san corrected himself.
*gulp* My throat sounded unintentionally and I timidly opened my mouth.
「Erm … I’d like to ask you something, if that’s alright?」
Yup, it’s a question about the future life that I’m going to lead. In some respects, I was naturally frightened and my hands felt strained. It was difficult to breathe. Looking at my situation, Mooks-san gave me a serious nod.
「Ah. What is it?」
「Could you tell me the name of the country and the name of the current king?」
My heart began to throb quickly and painfully. On the other hand, Mooks-san didn’t expect it and thought I would have asked about my future, so he looked puzzled whilst responding.
「Huh? Ah! This country is the country blessed by the flowers, the Riestinne Kingdom. By the way, this is the capital.
The current king is the heartless King McNard」
The moment I heard that, I lost all strength in my body. Seeing my state, Mooks-san panicked.
「!? What’s the matter? Does your wound hurt? Are you alright?」
「My wound’s fine. It seems I’m just a bit tired」
For the time being, I gave whatever excuse that popped up in my head, but was that enough to cover for it?
Just then, I heard a knock on the door.
「Chief! We’ve got a slight problem that just cropped up!!」
I heard an impatient man’s voice from outside the door. The chief he was referring to was Mooks-san?
When I stared at Mooks-san, he gave a “tsk” and clicked his tongue whilst he glared at the door. He turned around, I think, and looked at me before softly brushing my head.
「Since I’m being summoned, I’m going to step out for a bit. You’re still seriously wounded so just go to sleep」
Saying so, he left the pitcher beside me and left the room.
After seeing Mooks-san leave, I let out a deep profound sigh.
So this country is Riestinne. Somehow, I remembered it. I remember hearing of it.
The kingdom’s name … I remembered the name McNard Kingdom sounding seemingly sweet.
My name is Asnord Flaska.
Ah, this country … No, this world was a world in a shoujo manga in my previous life.
TL Note:
Oji-san – old manAa-kaff-kaff – Coughing soundsStreet child – It’s written in katakana and pronounced in English. Hence Mooks’s confused response as it’s not a word he understands in “his” language.