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: Frozen Ink
Read at Watashi wa Sugoi Desu!
Chapter 018 – Lettuce Field
Marumaru: “Well, about the reason why we gathered all of you here suddenly…”
Marumaru stated his business in a laid-back manner to several young paladins at the training ground. They were Fay, Bouran, Arthur, Tlue, Ese, and Kamase. Why did training commence once again with these members?
It was because the members of the knight brigade of this generation were dying one after another. It was unusual for many of the paladins who finished their temporary enrollment to die so early, so they thought of training them again as a measure to fix the situation.
They were tasked to train while taking on missions. Doing both was quite a burden to their body.
Marumaru: “Well then, let’s start with running.”
Marumaru clapped his hands as a signal to begin. Then everyone started running into the wilderness. The first to run was Fay. The distance between him and others was gradually widening. There was practically nobody from the same generation who could match him in art-less running.
Then Ese, who forcefully raised his running pace, approached Fay.
Ese: “Fay, is been a while.”
Fay” “…Ese, huh.”
Ese: “Yeah. Well, it ain’t like I ran up to ya just to greet ya… that blond lass belongs to yer group, right? Can ya introduce her to me?”
Ese talked to Fay as they ran. Ese’s eyes landed on Arthur glancing at Fay. Ese didn’t know that Arthur thought of him as a hindrance because Arthur also wanted to talk to Fay.
Fay: “I’m not that close to her.”
Ese: “Eh? But, didn’t ya just talk to her earlier?”
Fay: “…Lettuce.”
Ese: “Lettuce?”
Fay: “She asked me my opinion on lettuce?”
Ese: “Hah? What’s that mean?”
Fay: “Like hell I’d know. I’m going.”
Fay raised his running speed. It was a pure speed without the use of art. As a result, Ese was left behind. Then Arthur caught up to Fay as if she had been waiting for that moment.
Arthur: “Fay.”
Fay: “…”
Arthur: “Who was that man earlier? An acquaintance? A friend?”
Fay: “…I’m not that close to him.”
Arthur: “Eh? But you look like you are having fun talking with him.”
Fay: “…Arthur.”
Arthur: “Me?”
Fay: “He was asking about you?”
Arthur: “Eh? Why?”
Fay: “…I dunno. I’m going.”
Fay raised his speed further, but he couldn’t shake off Arthur.
Arthur: “Do you want a dressing to make the lettuce delicious?”
Fay: “…Don’t talk about useless things. Run silently.”
Having déjà vu regarding Arthur’s sudden lettuce question, Fay ignored her and continued with his training. Fay was a serious person. He finished training in first place.
Then after pure muscular training, the dash training by using art took place.
A punishment would be given to the slowest one. Although Fay possessed the best pure muscular strength among them, the result was different regarding art operation.
Unlike the previous running exercise, Fay’s result was rock bottom.
Marumaru: “Well then, Fay, the punishment is for you… Let’s see. I think you must be tired and about to hit your limit, so how about a hundred practice swings?”
Arthur: “Mu…”
Arthur reacted to Marumaru’s words.
This teacher underestimates Fay too much… Fay is a hard working person, so there’s no way he would hit his limit by a mere hundred swings. You shouldn’t say it like that’s his limit.
Err, how to say this…It might sound provocative if I say it forcefully…
Arthur: “Sensei.”
Marumaru: “Hm?”
Arthur: “I think the number for Fay’s practice swing should have another 0 added to it. He should be asked to do that much (meaning to show his high potential).”
Marumaru: “Eh?”
Everyone around looked at her with gazes of: Is she trying to provoke him? But the girl in question didn’t notice.
Fay, who heard that, got a little angry.
—As expected of a giant panda-rival character… She sure said something sarcastic my way, the protagonist… It is very irritating… but very well. I will accept the challenge!! Then I will surpass your expectations!!!
Fay: “I intended to increase it to begin with anyway. Also, you meant to say to add two 0’s, right? Arthur.”
Arthur: “…Fay.”
Arthur: As expected of Fay… He goes beyond my expectations every day. But I was close. Well, I understood Fay the best, after all.
Fay: Even though I told her I’m going to do 10000 practice swings… she didn’t look surprised at all. ‘Do you think you can do it?’ Perhaps she meant it as a provocation like that? I’ll show you that I can do it.
Arthur: Do your best, Fay.
Fay: This girl looked at me without any expression… Does she find it funny? Just prepare yourself to eventually become my, the protagonist’s, stepping stone.
Marumaru: “Err… then should we end our training here?”
Marumaru found the atmosphere unbearable and ended the training.
■◆
By the time Fay finished his practice swings, the area was already pitch black. He proceeded to visit Yururu at the three trees place for the night training as usual.
Yururu: “Err, Fay-kun. You’re soaked with sweat, though…”
Fay: “No problem.”
Yururu: “Should we stop our training for today?”
Fay: “I’ll do the training.”
Yururu: “But everyone been waiting for Fay-kun, right?”
Beyond her gaze were the paladins who trained with Fay today. They should be waiting for Fay to go there. They were talking about washing their sweat off in the bathhouse of the knight brigade.
But Fay took a long time so they were waiting for him.
Paladin: “Hey, Fay. Let’s take a bath together.”
Fay: “—But I refuse.” 1
Paladin: “An immediate answer?!”
Yururu: “Fay-kun, please deepen your friendship with your comrades today! It’s my advice as your master!”
Fay: “—I see. There should be meaning in it if you’re the one who saying it.”
Paladin: “What the, you. You sure listen to her obediently.”
Fay headed to the bathhouse since he thought there should be a meaning in Yururu’s words. However, Yururu’s expression showed that she found it hard to go there. She was reluctant to use the bathhouse and most facilities of the knight brigade. 2
Bouran noticed that and called out to her.
Bouran: “What? Sensei won’t be going with us?”
Yururu: “Err, I-“
Bouran: “We’ll be going together, so you won’t alone! Let’s go!”
Yururu: “…You’re right. Arthur-san would also come along anyway… It should be alright for me to go as long as I’m not alone.”
Yururu had a dry smile, but she headed there anyway since she thought she wouldn’t be alone.
…I guess it should be fine for me to go.
She was worried about being told off and being gossiped about in secret. However, that wasn’t the case at all. She did get told off a bit, though.
However, there was Fay next to her, so she didn’t mind it. Although he merely stood next to her with his arms crossed expressionlessly, it was really encouraging for her.
Arthur’s and Bouran’s presences were also encouraging, making her feel blessed to have such good students. Although Yururu and Fay entered different entrances, it was still encouraging for her to know he was nearby.
After they washed their bodies, Yururu’s group of three was immersed in the bathtub.
Bouran: “Haah, this feels good.”
Arthur: “Hm, it sure feels good.”
Yururu felt some sensuality in the appearance of Bouran and Arthur who were immersed in the bathtub. Although both of them were younger than her, it made Yururu feel complicated seeing them look more sensual than her.
Yururu: “Bouran-san and Arthur-san sure are beautiful.”
Bouran: “Eh? I guess so. But I think sensei is cute too.”
Arthur: “Indeed, sensei is cute.”
Yururu: “I-is that so?”
Bouran: “Somehow, you look cute as a child!”
Yururu: “A-a child…”
Yururu felt a little depressed being told that she looked like a child by a girl younger than her. They then heard voices from the man’s bath next door.
Ese: “F-Fay! What’s that thing ya have?! That’s huge?! It makes me embarrassed to look at! Kamase, ya better hide yers. If Fay’s is a dragon, then yers is a land dragon(mole)!”
Tlue: “O-our levels are different…”
Kamase: “E-even I can get it that big as long as my blood flows properly!”
They heard surprised voices from Ese, Tlue, and Kamase. They said it quite loudly that their voice echoed in the women’s bath. Although Arthur and Bouran didn’t understand what the men were talking about, Yururu did.
Yururu: Fay-kun… so your is that big…
Arthur: “What are they talking about?”
Bouran: “I dunno. Does sensei know?”
Yururu: “I-I wonder? W-what could they mean?”
Yururu randomly pretended to not know. However, Arthur and Bouran, who truly didn’t know, continued their conversation.
Arthur: “What of Fay is big?” 3
Bouran: “Maybe his nose?”
Arthur: “Fay’s nose isn’t that big enough to make such a racket. His nose is more smooth and tall.”
Bouran: “Ah-, I see. His facial features are quite good after all. He is actually quite handsome-. His gaze just ruins it though.”
Arthur: “Fay does have an unfriendly gaze, but he isn’t a bad person.”
Bouran: “Eh? What’s with you? You give off feeling like you know him well.”
Arthur: “In fact, I think I understand Fay the best.”
Bouran: “Heeh, then what is his favorite food?”
Arthur: “Fay loves lettuce, you know?”
Bouran: “Why?”
Arthur: “Fay sometimes goes to the bakery I also go to and we sometimes bump into each other. He always buys ham lettuce sandwiches… so I am sure of it. Fay loves lettuce (confusing deduction).” 4
Bouran: “He-h, that sounds about right (innocent Bouran).”
Yururu: —Isn’t Fay-kun buying it because he loves ham…? ← great deduction 5
Arthur: “That’s why I bought him three bags of lettuce as a present for helping me.”
Bouran: “How is it going?”
Arthur: “He accepted it while saying ‘Aaah.’ He blinked three times. I think he was just so happy he was stunned silent.”
Yururu: —Isn’t Fay just shocked at the present he received being too odd…? ←great deduction.
—Confusing detective, Arthur. 6
There was no logic in her deduction. It was incomprehensible. Her deduction wasn’t something that could be unraveled by logic, but by feeling instead.
Bouran: “Ooh! That sounds about right! But to think he actually loves lettuce!”
Arthur: “I’m thinking of giving him a dressing that goes well with lettuce next time.”
Bouran: “Hee-h (innocent Bouran).”
Arthur: “I think Fay loves lettuce enough to have a delusion of lettuce fields in his head.”
Bouran: “Hee-h (innocent Bouran).”
Fay’s character was attached with a mysterious personality of loving lettuce.
Bouran: “I see. I guess I’ll give him lettuce if I want to give him something next time!”
With that, Fay would receive tons of lettuces for his birthday. It was at that moment Yururu decided to give ham for his birthday.
■◆
There were blanks in her memories as if it was eaten by worms. She couldn’t recall it. However, she did remember she was scared back then. She remembered it was the moment ■■lia was almost killed.
My mother was blonde… I somehow felt like that was the case. But my mother actually has red hair…
I was a village girl, raised normally, but because I have magic aptitude and a talent for sword, my mother was killed, then to avenge her…
I often feel at loss. Who am I? Sometimes I doubt my own memory. Who was I again?
Am I ■■lia…? Or am I ■■ria…?
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Thanks for chap
So we finally exploring maria’s tampered memories?
… so yea. The names/tags feel weird. I mean, it was different in the last chapter but here it felt unnecessary and excessive, ya ‘now?
Suggestion heeded. we try to not use it in future chapter until someone complained otherwise.
Name tags are good in long continuous conversation but not this one.
Alright, here’s some advice from those who read further
PUT A FUCKING DISCLAIMER!
Seriously,
i tried to limit spoiler unless directly asked, but i can’t speak for others. sorry for the inconvenience
Is the last thought of
kinda. well, it will become clear by next week.
Hmmm… You may be getting to something here.
well, both of us knew it, so let other enjoy upcoming week.
So who? Ahh..
Thank you for this chapter, I waited a very long time but I wish Fay would add more combat parts.
and once thank you sir translator
you will see the combat part of Fay soon enough…
as for who, it will be clear by next chapter
thank you for reading as well!
Really!? Thank you for update Tsukii-sama
we just did what we supposed to do.
we hope you enjoyed the story