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: ink
Read at Watashi wa Sugoi Desu!
Chapter 028 – Handkerchief [B]
The two continued walking and finally arrived at a certain village. That was the village where she was only Lilia. It was a place where she spent her happy days before losing anything.
Upon arrival, Maria unknowingly opened her mouth.
“I see… so the village is back.”
There was no trace of the village that was turned into hell in front of her. Beautiful buildings were built in the place where the burnt houses were. There was no trace of blood anywhere. The offensive, nauseating odor that made one want to vomit was also absent.
It made her a little happy to see it became a happy place without a trace of sadness. Lilia then walked into the village.
She looked around the village in nostalgia. There was a completely different house in place of the house she once lived in where a happy family now lived.
Fay silently walked behind her. Lilia then asked the people of this village, whether there were any graves for the people who once lived in this village.
The villagers answered her as they just remembered. They pointed in a certain direction and Lilia and Fay went there. It was a place where nobody was anymore.
It was a place that was left forgotten. The grave stones were lined up. Lilia stopped her eyes at one of them.
—It was her mother’s grave.
Lilia then knelt on the ground. Her eyes swayed slightly. She closed her eyes and prayed.
I’m finally here… Mama…
She said that in her heart. She also paid her respect to the villagers of the past. She was filled with emotions from finally being able to reach this place.
She remembered the old days. The nightmare she couldn’t forget even if she tried and the happiness before she lost anything.
Perhaps I could never forget …that thought saddened her.
She hid her eyes so Fay couldn’t see the faint tears that flowed. She didn’t look at Fay but she could feel that Fay was nearby.
However, she couldn’t turn to face him. If she saw him now, then her tears wouldn’t stop flowing.
Lilia turned her back against him in silence. They stood alone on a desolate grave marker, like a prisoner captured in the past. 1
Suddenly, the wind blew. It caressed Lilia’s cheek. She wanted to stay like this until her tears dried in the wind.
As the time went on, she could hear footsteps. It didn’t belong to Fay. There were several of them, none of which belonged to humans.
She glanced at it for a moment. It was demons, white wolves. They were gazing at her as they drooled.
Strangely enough, she had no intention of escaping. As she stood at the grave marker, she thought she was merely returning to the place she ought to belong as a dead person.
She remembered both the nightmare and happiness. Perhaps dying with that wouldn’t be so… such a thing ran through her mind. The white wolves leapt at her.
Their sharp fang approached her, instinctively trying to eat her flesh.
—Once again, the wind blew.
Blood danced in the sky. A swordsman had finished swinging his katana.
It dyed the ground red with beautiful lines.
“—Too slow.”
It was a word that unleashed heavy pressure that dominated the place. The white wolves which just lost their compatriots attacked him all at once.
Fay shook the blood off his katana and wielded his sword once again. Although he performed swordsmanship, it was so beautiful that one might mistake it as a sword dance dedicated to a greater existence.
“—You’re not even enough to test my blade.”
A voice of disappointment echoed as blood danced. A beast, then two was slashed one after another, slash slash slash slash, it would appear to be a simple task in the eyes of a beginner.
That was how sophisticated his slashing was.
The leader of the white wolf pack began to recognize that the man in front of it wasn’t an enemy, but a superior life form.
Don’t mess with him, hurry and run away, such was what its instinct told the wolf.
As the pack ran one after another from Fay like how newborn spiders scattered, Lilia (Maria) looked at his back.
The boy who struggled blindly back then was no longer there. It was the back of a man who had his resolve, knew where he should go, and tried to walk that path forever.
Maria didn’t want him to walk that path alone. But now, she was happy to see how much he had grown. However, she was sure he didn’t need Maria (Lilia) with him.
I (I) am already…
Her tears overflowed. It was because she thought he had already gone to a place where she couldn’t catch up. The moment he turned around, Maria looked down again.
She hid her crying face and tried to put a strong front. She raised a bright voice. Fay then walked toward them.
“Let’s go home…”
“Aaah.”
That was all he said. Fay looked away and left her alone as he walked his way home. Perhaps someday, I would be left behind just like this… the moment she thought of that, she noticed his leg stopped moving.
He didn’t look at her crying face. He gave her something without facing her.
“Don’t get me wrong. I did this for my own sake… It’s unpleasant to walk home with you when you have such an expression… Just use this.”
She didn’t look at his face but his hand instead. A yellow handkerchief was presented to her. After she took it, Fay turned around and started walking. However, his walking pace was slow. Fay, who never matched anyone’s steps or changed himself, walked slowly this time.
It was as if he was waiting for someone to catch up with him.
…I see. So he’s waiting for me (me)… he understands everything, and is waiting for me to catch up to him.
—Just for this moment, he is being considerate to me, who feels sad.
She began to run and chased Fay from the grave (past). He didn’t look back, he just kept waiting for her to walk towards the future. As she chased after that back, she looked back for a moment.
I’m sorry. I couldn’t follow you yet, Mama… I (I) have a person I wish to walk my future with…
Lilia (Maria) caught up to Fay and arrived next to him. He didn’t look at her and continued to look ahead.
“Hey, about this handkerchief… Can I keep it?”
“Do what you like. I don’t care what you do to a piece of cloth.”
“I see… then, I’ll keep it… thank you, Fay (Fay).”
He didn’t say more than that. The eyes she had been diverting for a long time were now looking at her. Both of them could see each other’s faces.
“—I see.”
Eh…?
Just for a moment, she saw Fay’s thin smile. She thought she saw that by mistake, blinked, and looked at him again. She saw his usual expressionless face there.
Maybe he tried to reassure me and give me a smile… it can’t be, right? …No, but, I’m sure.
The two walked towards the future. She felt a faint breeze behind her, as if it was blessing their journey.
◆◆
I thought Maria was inviting me for a date, but it turned out to be a grave visit. Is there a visiting grave event with a heroine?
I still had a debate inside me whether Maria was a heroine or not. We went and made a casual chat as we headed to the grave.
Even so, it’s been getting cold recently. Well, it was winter after all. Ah, but should I make a countermeasure against the possibility of an enemy that manipulated ice by being hit under a waterfall naked?2
We arrived at the grave, and white wolves appeared!!
Leave this to me-! I would stylishly cut them down!
Huh? Did Maria cry there?
Perhaps she got scared by the white wolves?
I suddenly noticed the object in my pocket. It was the yellow handkerchief I brought the other day. And here, I asked myself.
What was a handkerchief for a protagonist?
For personal use? NO.
Emergency measures to suppress bleeding? NO.
Indeed, the answer was… a handkerchief exists to wipe the heroine or person who could possibly be the heroine of their tears for the protagonist(handsome voice).
I passed the handkerchief while being considerate to not look at Maria’s face. Since I was a cool-type protagonist, I need to twist the reason for passing the handkerchief a bit.
I’ll just say I felt unpleasant. Well, I did feel a bit sad seeing Maria cry, and I’ve been in her care a lot after all.
Even in case Maria wasn’t actually a heroine, I would still properly repay the gratitude to the person who I am indebted to. This wasn’t a basic procedure as a protagonist, but a natural thing to do as a person.
Huh? Maria seemed energetic before I knew it?
Why…? Eh? You want the handkerchief? It was actually quite expensive, go ahead and take it. I could just buy another to replace it later.
Maria thanked me.
Maria might really be a heroine. My cheek rose a bit when I heard her gratitude, oops, that’s dangerous.
A cool-type protagonist having dead facial muscle was a basic procedure. I didn’t want to break my character after all. I would continue to be a cool-type, expressionless protagonist who doesn’t laugh!!
Well then, time to go home. I would escort you home properly, so just rest assured. I didn’t look at your crying face much, so you didn’t have to hide it, you know?
Well, I wouldn’t say it though. But if I did something that hinted so, I was sure she would understand.
—With that in mind, I continue to walk coolly as usual.
◆◆
Athena Cutout!!
On the way back!!
Komatsuna : (I was sure I was being the protagonist when I passed her the handkerchief)
Lilia : (I got a handkerchief from Fay!)
Maria : (Eeh?! He gave it to me!)
Lilia : (No! Fay gave it to me!)
Maria : (No, he gave it to me!)
Perhaps it would be wise for him to give her two handkerchiefs next time.
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Also, Tsukii has picked up a new series called “A Story of a Cannon Fodder who Firmly Believed He was the Protagonist, Misunderstood the Actual Protagonist as the Cannon Fodder, and Ended up Victorious!” The title really says it all. Early access to more chapters for this story is available on Patreon.
Thanks for chap
Yep moments like this where mc even with his quirks shines
Damn, I have calm and smooth feeling more and more after read this chapter, more i read Fay part more i think his joke moment lost and switch to be respect for him.
Thanks you for update this chapter!
Who’s Komatsuna? Fay? I don’t remember about it. Anyway thanks for the chapter!
komatsuna is jap mustard spinach. used to refer fay several chap back and it sticks
That spilt personality though
Thanks for the chapter!
that’s why you need double gift, just like the hair accessories