Story of a Cannon Fodder who Firmly Believed He was the Protagonist, Misunderstood the Actual Protagonist as the Cannon Fodder, and Ended up Victorious
Translator: Tsukii
Editor: Derpy
Read at Watashi wa Sugoi Desu!
Chapter 002 – Is Maria a Heroine After All? [B]
A woman held a worried expression as she sat by the tattered Fay’s side. She held onto the hand that was on the bed, worried that Fay wouldn’t be waking up yet, and offered prayers to god to grant a wish for his betterment.
Her name was Maria. She was formerly active as a paladin, but she was now a Sister who set up an orphanage and took care of the orphans. She was a parent figure to Tlue, the protagonist of the novel game Round Table Heroes, and depending on the route, she could become the heroine.
She took care of the children who had no families or were poor, for she had also lost her own parents to Abyss and the support of her family. She suffered from hunger then, but she managed to live on with help from various people.
Due to her experience at that time, and the smiles of others she met during her days as a paladin, she thought of doing more for the people and searched for a way. As a result, she retired at a young age and set up an orphanage.
She wanted to protect the children’s smiles, and this was the orphanage built from such a wish. However, what about this situation? The boy named Fay was wounded and had also never once laughed while in her care.
Fay was a boy that Maria had a hard time dealing with. He was snobby towards everyone, and never opened his heart up to Maria, even though every other child in the orphanage did.
Naturally, Maria kept a distance from Fay.
She couldn’t treat everyone equally. That was also a fault of Maria’s.
However, the boy named Fay reached a major turning point one day. He changed, and things developed in that duel. He was treated like a punching bag, and ended up in a state close to serious.
Luckily, his wounds managed to heal completely using healing potions and medicine. All that was left was for him to wake up. During that time, Maria was thinking: how should she call out to him?
When Fay woke up, she desperately pulled a smile and spoke to him.
Fay… I wonder if you’re okay.
“Fay? Are you okay?”
“Obviously. These are mere scratches.”
“That’s definitely not the case Fay!”
He treated those… as scratches? There’s no way that’s the case. But it doesn’t seem as though he is lying either.
From her perspective, Fay immediately turned into an eerie existence. It made it harder for her to approach him, but she had to because she was a Sister and he was a child of the orphanage she was responsible for.
“Fay, why did you suddenly begin to take up swordsmanship?”
She asked him. After a moment of thinking, he answered.
“To reach greater heights. Also… to destroy Abyss.”
At that moment, Maria was astonished. It felt like a piece of the puzzle finally fit just right.
Indeed. The boy was similar to her, his parents were slain by Abyss… and then he arrived here.
Perhaps he began to learn the art of the sword to become a knight…? To avenge his own parents? Yes, he is the same as me… an avenger. He was trying to relieve the regrets of his parents who were slain by the monsters…
So he carried such thoughts all this time. But maybe, Fay was just wondering what he could do to achieve his revenge. He must have been scared. To think he chose such a path… just like me back then.
That’s why he tried to form relationships with others in his own way. He was just clumsy, so he failed at it. Neither the children of the orphanage nor I could understand his attempts… but he was always festering in pain all alone, actually wishing that somebody could stop him.
Maria concluded that that was the reason for his arrogant attitude.
It naturally made her remember of her own past, living for revenge. However, as she was active as a knight, she had gained comrades and friends; and also gratitude from the people she saved. Therefore, she managed to choose a path to help others instead of revenge.
The comrades around her stopped revenge from ruining her.
“I see… So you’re still… thinking about that time… No, you’ve been alone… yet you still remember. About the moment when your parents were gone.”
“It’s all in the past, I don’t remember at all. So don’t worry about it.”
He doesn’t remember? There’s no way that’s the case. Did I… just force him to make up a painful lie…?
She was ashamed that he needed to tell her such a lie. What a thing she has done…
“…Aah, that’s why there’s no need for unnecessary worry.”
However, Fay spoke to her as if he thought nothing of it. That was another thing Maria was surprised by.
“—gh…I see, you’re right. I’m sorry.”
“Why are you apologizing? It’s not something for you to be concerned about.”
—Why does he act this way?
Because of my slip of tongue, he felt that I was blaming myself for his parents’ deaths. That’s why he told me not to care despite knowing that. He makes up yet another painful lie…
Before she knew it, the boy appeared to have changed… no, that wasn’t it. She came to understand that the boy resolved to be alone. It was the resolve to walk upon a path of vengeance, the resolve to walk on a path of darkness…
I can understand, for I was once an avenger myself…
He chose not to depend on others, but on himself to open up the way, all while trying to make connections with others clumsily. However, nobody was able to understand him, and since no one tried to befriend him despite how much he tried, he chose to stop doing it altogether.
“So, are your wounds alright? I’ll scold Tlue later…”
“No, you don’t have to.”
“Why?”
“Because I’m not angry about it. It allowed me to learn of my strengths and step forward to the future. For me, it was necessary.”
“—gh. I see, I guess that’s how it is… I’m sorry.”
—How far this boy has gone…
By the time it happened for the third time, she was horrified.
To accept the punishment of what he has done so far, he purposefully chose to expose his shameful appearance in front of everyone in the orphanage. It was his way of confessing his faults to others in the orphanage by getting beaten up in a flashy manner and becoming tattered like this.
He chose to receive the punishment, and by doing so has cut himself off from his past…
And to choose vengeance, he has resolved to bet his life on getting stronger… that should be the case.
Even though he is kind to his core… why did I leave him all alone until he ended up like this? Did I ever embrace this child with my all even once…?
She embraced Fay with all she could. However, Fay didn’t embrace her back.
So, we no longer walk the same path… this is his way of telling me. All while being considerate to me…
“It’s alright. I will always be with you… Fay… I love you.”
If this child ends up walking that path, I will do my best to stop him. Until he is willing to embrace me back, I will try over and over again no matter how many times it takes…
Sister Maria resolutely swore that she would no longer leave this clumsy and lonely boy all by himself anymore.
Want early access to Cannon Fodder, Melancholy of the Demon Army Officer, and I Was a Man Before Reincarnating, So I Refuse a Reverse Harem? Support the translator on Patreon!
Lol that’s some pretty logical misunderstanding. She was an avenger who still can trust other so she thought MC was similar but the opposite, avenger who couldn’t trust other.
Se armó una historia en su cabeza
Its very rarely, i would say to misunderstanding “Atleast both of them have the right heart” and meant it
indeed
Wow, what a great example of understanding betweein two people!
they went completely parallel, but somehow things fit just right
These are the kinds of misunderstandings I love.
me too. i love comedic misunderstanding, but not heartbreaking one
You know even if I know the MC is a mob character in game,I genuinely relate to him honestly,if no one want to be friends with me or tried to, I probably act snobby to hide my pain because no offense maria,he is a child maria
They are way smarter and better at hiding they feeling then any adults
Also is there a schedules for this novels upload,I really liking this
to be exact, Fay is cannon fodder; not as fragile as mob, but also not as great as rival character. we all never knew how original Fay was since he is now replaced by our prota.
Maria lives all her life prior being Sister as an avenger, so its natural of her to not understand children well, she just tried what she thought as best to take care of children
it is scheduled every tuesday, there’s no fixed time, unfortunately, due people being busy irl. if you can’t wait, you can sign to be patron and enjoy all chap i already uploaded(unedited)
That is fair,we don’t know much how fay life before but considering his family got killed,I say he have a Fair share of hatred and true to what maria as well but that doesn’t change that she don’t tried to understand a children feeling, taking a distance just because fay act like a dick is a bastard move to take matter the reason
Also I rather wait for the edit version so my hype train don’t get crash early
well, it’s your choice. edited version is definitely more comfortable to read after all.
also, Maria is not a perfect parent figure. she is not as pure person as the story so far make her to be. further explanations would be a spoiler, so i won’t do it, though.
She is an avenger so she definitely isnt pure
i don’t mean just that kind of pure, though…