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 031 – Causality Brought Forth [C]
“What do you think about the rookies this time?”
As all the training curriculums was completed, Batsubatsu was talking with Magnum in the office.
“Arthur and Tlue, these two were especially exceptional. They were better than the others by at least one or two levels.”
“Indeed. I personally think Guren and Fubuki are good too.”
“Aah, that’s right.”
“…What about Fay?”
“He’s no good.”
“He won against Kakukaku though?”
“He must have let his guard down. It wasn’t a fight he could lose if he went seriously.”
“I-I see.”
“Rather than that… I wrote a recommendation letter petitioning that some people are to be promoted to greater grades. Send it properly.”
That was all Magnum said and he left the room. Perhaps he went to the castle town for his routine drink.
Batsubatsu got curious and read the letter.
The things written there were… details of many rookies and the reason to promote them. Some were promoted by a grade, some by two grades, some even promoted by three or four grades at once.
Arthur and Tlue’s document especially caught his eye. The letter stated that they were promoted all the way to seven-grade paladin from their former twelve-grade status.
Batsubatsu continued to read. Then his eyes suddenly stopped at a certain line. He couldn’t help but smile.
—Recommendation for Paladin Fay to be promoted to eight-grade from twelve-grade.
He managed to come out victorious against Kakukaku, a fourth-grade paladin, in mock combat. Although Kakukaku let his guard down and didn’t go all out, it was still a victory nonetheless. Therefore, it is judged that he is qualified to be promoted several ranks.
◆◆
“This marks the end of the training camp. We can say that everyone managed to break your shell and advanced to a new stage.”
It was the sixth day. It was only used for the parting words and the training camp was completed. Batsubatsu gave his words of encouragement to the rookie paladins who were lined up with different expressions compared when they first came.
“You’ve done well, and I look forward to your future success.”
That was all he said and he went down the stage. The next who came out was Magnum.
“All of you are granted a few days break from this day onward. Rest well, and don’t get exhausted, that’s all.”
Magnum said such frank words and turned his back, glancing at Fay when he did, but nobody noticed that. Everyone thought Kakukaku would also give his parting words, but it seemed that he wasn’t present there.
Since there wasn’t anything to do, they all left.
They had excited expressions on their way back. They were granted vacation and filled with a sense of accomplishment. Some had their respective ideas, such as going out to play or to rest as they passed the year. Then as they were about to leave the city of Really, they saw a familiar face.
It was Kakukaku. Tension ran among them once again. However, they were ignored and Kakukaku directly went in front of Fay.
“What about your injuries?”
“It’s completely healed.”
“I see… Can I ask you one thing?”
“Make it quick.”
“Yes. What ran through your mind during that battle?”
“It was a calculation that there’s a one in ten thousand possibility of grasping victory. One tiny mistake and I would be defeated.”
“I guess so. How come you never gave up on grasping your victory despite the overwhelming odds?”
“It is because I believed that I would be able to draw in that one in ten thousand possibilities to myself.”
“…Eh? That’s it?”
“Yes, that’s it.”
“…I see. So that’s it…”
Kakukaku seemed to look at someone who wasn’t there as he said that. The time seemed to stop for a moment. However, he soon shook his head. Then he handed a certain paper bag to Fay.
“I’ll give this to you. You seem like you could casually end up dead out there, after all.”
“What is this?”
“It’s wine and cheese. Enjoy it. Also, you should taste it properly before your early death. It was something he wished to eat and drink before he died… says a certain someone before.”
“…I see.”
“Yes, that’s all. Well then, do your best to drink ditch water. 1
Kakukaku said his goodbye and left. Then as those rookie paladins left, he opened his mouth slightly.
“Unexpectedly, people like you might end up surviving.”
■■
Fay and others were walking their way home. Tlue was looking at his back. There were Guren and Fubuki next to Tlue.
“He doesn’t seem tired despite what happened yesterday.”
“So it seems!”
Fubuki and Guren were talking about Fay. Tlue looked back on what happened yesterday as he ignored their words.
Fay was like a beast back then, but Tlue could see Fay was actually calculating his moves.
When the battle was over and Fay fainted, Tlue was filled with a sense of defeat, the sense where he couldn’t catch up to Fay.
“Not yet…I can still achieve a greater height.”
Tlue’s words disappeared in the air.
◆◆
<News flash> I finally learned a new power.
<News flash> I finally learned a new power.
<News flash> I finally learned a new power.
<News flash> I finally learned a new power.
Well, I won. And my vessel leveled up.
I finally noticed at the last minute. After all, the answer was actually always within me. I was always trying to do something about my awkward art operation all this time, but I never thought… to reverse the idea instead.
If the strengthening failed, the bones and flesh would tear. Because of that, I avoided forcefully piling up art strengthening.
It was because I thought there was no need to get hurt on my own. But I was wrong. It was unlike a protagonist to avoid the risk.
They were always walking on the tight rope.
It seemed that the bones of my arms and legs were broken after that, but it was an equivalent exchange after all.
One needed to abandon something to earn something. Such an equivalent exchange was basic procedure.
And what about that being a double-edged sword? Wasn’t that cool instead?
Also, there was the muffler I got from Yururu-shishou. I would be defeated without that. Just throwing a sword alone would only produce small fluctuations in the air. But by wrapping the sword in a muffler, the area it encompassed would be larger and would make a good decoy.
I never thought that handmade muffler which I thought was given with heroine-like meaning was actually an item that would lead to victory.
Because of that, I managed to win against a fourth-grade paladin. It was because of Yururu-shishou’s regular training, foreshadows, and essential items she gave. 2
However, it was as expected of me to manage to attract favorable results at the last moment. I always knew and believed I could draw that one in ten thousand possibilities. Fate would only smile at people like these.
I knew it. It was the privilege of the protagonist to twist the uncertain destiny, causality, probability, and anything similar at the last minute.
Fuh, I was the protagonist after all.
—It was because Arthur and Tlue were often complimented as they did their respective ME STRONK… huh? Was I the protagonist? Such was the doubt that came to my mind.
After all, they were more active than I was in this event. It even worried me a little. Huh? It made me think I actually belonged to this kind of a certain role…
—The possibility that I was actually the temporary protagonist of the pilot episode all this time…
However, I managed to draw in the result at the very end. I, who sweat more than anyone, more wounded than anyone, and achieve more growth than anyone, was worthy of being the protagonist.
I should enjoy this expensive wine and cheese together with Yururu-shishou… and perhaps with Maria as well…
“Hey, that cheese is very expensive, right?! Can I visit your house today?!”3
“I refuse.”
It seemed the cheese and wine I got belonged to the expensive kinds. The wine priced at two months’ worth of paladin’s salary, while the cheese priced at a month’s worth of salary. And apparently, it wasn’t something that one could easily buy even when they wanted to. People needed to make reservations for it for at least more than half a year.
They were first-class goods that everyone knew about, worthy of me.
I was thankful to him for giving me this.
“Hey! You… seem to be cool today!”
“…I won’t play along with your praise.”
“Eh?! Err… that’s… I want to eat it… may I?”
Bouran, how much you want to eat this cheese… What happened to your character? Weren’t you like “I won’t approve of you!!” when we first met?
There seemed to be a thorn, but she went ahead to get hit by herself. She felt like a person who staged a traffic accident.
Recently, she didn’t show any of her initial attitudes anymore. She seemed to have grown. She somehow felt like a joke character that changed personality mid-story.
“He-hey! Fay’s… profile looks cool!”
“…”
“Fay, you should drink that wine with an onee-san like me.”
“…”
Let’s ignore Bouran and Arthur for now. Well, let’s share some wine and cheese with Yururu-shishou and Maria together… then rest a bit during vacation… When I thought about that, something came to my mind.
That’s right, let’s go to the Free City.
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Got me in the mood for cheese and crackers.
1 bag of cheese is 1 month salary? Just how prince ?
Thanks for update this chapter
Um medieval ages?
yeah
premium cheese and wine. its expensive