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 039 – Blank Slate [A]

Pond City. Gray monsters (Abyss) appeared outside that city at night while everyone slept. The two paladins who were stationed in the city went out to hunt them. After they somehow managed to subjugate the Abyss, the paladins chatted while patrolling.

 

“Don’t you think there are a lot of them recently… I mean the Abyss.” 

“Aah… and I’ve felt that that they’ve been concentrating on this city.”

“I heard there are requests for an increase in personnel. It seems that several paladins have been dispatched from Britannia to help investigate and protect the city.”

 

“—That’s quite an interesting thing you mentioned there.” 

 

A gentle voice like a saint echoed at night. It was a beautiful voice that was nice to hear in the silence. The pair of paladins felt chills from the sudden voice and took their distance. They saw a beautiful woman with white and black hair standing there, and she was holding a sword with an eerie purple color as if it was mixed with blood. 

 

“Who are you?” 

“I’m just an assistant.”

 

The next moment, she swung her sword upward. Something like a thorn extended from the sword and attacked the two. The paladins immediately drew their swords and slashed at the thorn. 

 

“What the hell is she?!” 

 

One paladin managed to avoid the thorn, but the other got hit by it. It produced nothing but a scratch, yet despite the amount of blood that came out fitting of a scratch, 

 

“A, aga, gaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!” 

 

The paladin screamed like a baby, despite having already endured harsh training to become a paladin. 

 

“Are you okay?!” 

“A, agu, aAaAaaaa.”

“This sword is enchanted by a certain person and has become a magic sword. It would cause direct damage to one’s psyche. If I have to name it… it would be Direct Pain (strange sword that damages the psyche).”

“The professor said… he didn’t have enough data regarding the psyche, so… please accompany me for the experiment.” 

 

A loud scream of despair echoed. By the next day, the corpses of two paladins who died with minor wounds were found. 

Round Table Heroes, an event that was considered very major in that game. It was an event that largely involved Alpha, the sub-protagonist, and would be her turning point. The time of choice was imminent. 

 

◆◆

 

Fay and Yururu trained at the place with three trees as usual. Fay would usually swing his wooden sword. However, he was training his art operation through meditation on that day. His body was surrounded by something like a translucent aura.

However, it didn’t fluctuate smoothly, but rather than calling it unsteady, it moved about like rough waves. Fay clicked his tongue due to that and his master, Yururu, made a difficult expression.

 

“Fay-kun… you really are clumsy at it after all…” 

“…”

“Art operation is more, how to say this, you should be getting better from now on… yes, just like that… I know that you are working hard, but… this is more about talent after all.”

“I see.”

“Ah, but! Fay-kun’s swordsmanship is amazing! Don’t be so pessimistic! Your swordsmanship is growing steadily!”

“I see…”

“As for art operations… I don’t know if this is effective, but… how about trying chanting?”

“Chanting…”

“Chanting is unnecessary for non-elemental magic, but… how to say this, it is more about making you focus more about the spell and I recommend you doing it to get a better feel of it. When I studied it in a book about magic the other day, it said that chants are used to activate attribute magic, but it is described that chanting by itself is to raise one’s awareness to exercise magic more efficiently. By using words, it stimulates the art and the image associated with magic, so it becomes a fire arrow or fireball… Nobody used chants for non-elemental magic since people cast them even without that, but… how about giving it a try?” 

“I see.”

“But probably… it won’t make you any better at operating it immediately. But if you could grasp the feel of it, it might allow you to last a few seconds longer even if you used your forced strengthening, and it might provide some subtle change in your consciousness.” 

“I see… I’ll try it then…”

“A-also… you see. It would be better for you to hold my hand to help you learn the art operation as usual… I think.”

“You’re right. Let’s do it then—“

 

Fay suddenly grabbed Yururu’s hand that she extended shyly. 

 

“—Hau.” 

 

He held it quite firmly, and with both of his hands as he tried to get the feel of art operation. However, since Yururu got embarrassed because her hand was held by Fay, her art operation was worse than usual. 

 

Even though she already did this often, Yururu still wasn’t used to it. She felt it would take some time before she could get used to it. 

 

Ehehe… this is my special privilege as his master… It’s a good thing to have. 

 

Even so… I wonder why Fay-kun is this bad at art operations… and his amount of art is extremely low too… a person with this low amount of art should be pretty rare… Fay-kun also didn’t tell me about his background either…

He didn’t remember anything before he lived in Maria-senpai’s orphanage… is it…? You sure have a lot of mysteries… Fay-kun. 

 

◆◆

 

Early in the morning, the young paladins gathered. There were Tlue, Arthur, Bouran, Alpha, Beta, Gamma, Ese, Kamase, and Fay. Sajinto would accompany them as their leader. 

 

“Well then, listen up guys. We’re going to Pond City.” 

“Oh- roger that.”

“Fuh, this great me also understands that.”

 

Sajinto walked in front of them. There was Tlue next to him, who walked beside him. 

 

“There seem to be a lot of members today.” 

“Aah, the Pond City is quite big after all. The area we need to cover is wider than usual. Also, there are confirmed reports of many Abyss spawning recently, along with the fact that two ninth-grade paladins have died there, so we know this mission won’t be as simple as it sounds.”

“I, see… that’s, can you coordinate properly with this many people in charge? Most of us are rookies, so I think it would be hard to give instructions one by one…”

“I do have my role as leader just in case. However, you guys have already been paladins for a year. You need to know that all of you will no longer be considered rookies. Besides, both you and Arthur are seventh-grade paladins, and Alpha, Beta, Gamma, and Bouran are all ninth-grade paladins but their fighting prowess exceed their grades. That’s why it should be fine. Rather, you guys should begin to think and act on your own.”

“I see, so we are… no longer rookies.”

“That’s right. Another wave of newcomers will enter the knight brigade soon. You all shouldn’t think you’ll stay as newcomers. Arthur, Tlue, Alpha, Beta, Gamma, and Bouran already received evaluations that make them worth more than common veterans.”

“…”

“You don’t seem confident, but I’m telling you that normally, being promoted a single grade a year is already great for paladins. You guys are better than normal people. Perhaps by next year, rough jewels like you and Arthur will be leading the newcomers. The elite groups that rose beyond the normal paladins would be in charge of teaching magic and swordsmanship by their second years. Both you and Arthur are that kind of existence, so please have some confidence and awareness of your station.”

 

Tlue and Arthur were evaluated as special that stood out above the rest of their group. Tlue also felt that fact. Due to Magnum’s recommendation, they were immediately promoted to seventh-grade paladins, which made them become targets of jealousy, respect, awe, and admiration. Tlue could feel those emotions directed at him. 

 

“Then, what about those three?” 

“Fay, Ese, and Kamase, huh… Ese and Kamase seem to have become eleventh-grade paladins, but… Fay seems to have stayed as twelfth-grade.”

“…So he didn’t get promoted.”

“No, it seems he said that he didn’t want the promotion. Originally, he was supposed to be an eighth-grade paladin.”

“…Eighth-grade.”

“Be it his art operation, amount of art he has, and elemental affinity he has, it is all considered the worst possible. But despite that, that Magnum recommended him for promotion. And that fool refused it. It is impossible to understand his line of thought, so you don’t have to care about it.”

“You’re right…”

 

Tlue turned around and looked at Fay. Ese and Kamase were talking to him on his side, but Fay stayed on his pace and only replied perfunctorily. Then Tlue saw his eyes that seemed to reflect the abyss as Fay looked forward. 

Then Tlue looked away as if trying to escape from that scary thing. 

It was the hatred of the same kin… or feeling of disgust that was similar to something like that. Before he changed, Tlue was angry at him for doing terrible things to fellow orphans, and had suspicion the moment he changed. Although Tlue still had such feelings remaining inside his heart, he now could feel something close to a sense of security for having Fay near him. 

 

Tlue kept walking while still feeling uncomfortable. The loud voices of Ese and Kamase echoed in his ear. 

 

“Well- Fay, I was really surprised about your left eye. Are you really okay?” 

“No problem.”

“I see- then I won’t bother you since Fay said so.”

“This great me will also not bother about it! Even if your eye has changed, you are still you after all!”

“You’re right, you say great things sometimes… Fay is being taught swordsmanship by a person named Yururu, right?”

“That’s right.”

“Fu-hn, the relationship between master and disciple… is that really your only relationship with her?”

“That’s right.”

 

No, doesn’t it seem like they are actually dating in secret? They definitely slept together in secret, considering how close she is acting with him. I saw him carrying her around in his arms while walking in the capital the other day.  

That’s definitely a lie. He is definitely sleeping with her secretly… Damn it, someday, this great me will also…

 

Both Ese and Kamase thought that Fay already went all the way with Yururu in romantic relationships between man and woman. That was why their gaze of jealousy pierced Fay. 

Then, there was Arthur who sent her jealous gaze to Ese and Kamase who could talk casually to Fay, and there was Alpha’s group who also kept watch of Fay. While the gazes around become complicated, all of them arrived at Pond City. 

 

◆◆

 

Fay’s group entered the city. Sajinto explained the situation to them again.

 

“The Abyss come out at night, but there is still time until then. You all must have heard about the mysterious deaths of two paladins despite their light wounds. Therefore, you people are to seek information from the city’s inhabitants. I will ask for the circumstances from the paladins that are stationed here.” 

 

Sajinto ordered them to gather information. 

 

“However, Arthur and Bouran are to come along with me.” 

“Why must I… I’ve been thinking of going around with Fay though.”

“Eh-! I’m going with you two?! Well, it can’t be helped so I will come along!”

“Don’t complain…”

 

It can’t be helped since I was ordered to monitor Arthur to begin with… Bouran is just the camouflage so Arthur wouldn’t notice it though. 

 

“Now that you know what to do, disband. Hey, hurry and get moving!” 

“How troublesome- I want to have lunch.”

“This great me too.”

“Hurry and get to work, you two…”

 

Damn, these guys are… Ah! Fay and Tlue listened to my instruction and immediately took action… in the end, perhaps those two are the most obedient… 

 

Sajinto’s eyes saw that Tlue and Fay walked in opposite directions without saying anything. The Alpha sisters seem to go ask for information and leave together. Ese and Kamase had been thinking of going with Fay, but since Fay already went ahead alone, the two chose to go for patrol. 

 

In the game version of this event in Pond City, Ese, Kamase, and Gamma weren’t there. After all, both Ese and Kamase were already killed by Abyss, while Gamma was already killed by the living dead in earlier events. 

There should be three other paladins from Tlue’s generation instead of those three in the game version, the so-called mob characters to make up numbers. However, because the three characters managed to survive due to Fay’s involvement, the dispatched member for this mission changed accordingly. 

 

However, the fact that Tlue, Arthur, Alpha, and Beta were among the members didn’t change as important events awaited them. It was the world’s correction power. It guaranteed major events would occur, ensuring the involved person would be in appropriate locations. 

This could be considered something absolute in this world that was based on the novel game. And Fay wasn’t an exception to this rule. Although only for a few moments, he would get to meet a certain person in this city. 


Want early access to Executed Sage, Melancholy of the Demon Army Officer, and I Was a Man Before Reincarnating, So I Refuse a Reverse Harem? Support the translator on Patreon!

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.

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Carrion
Carrion
1 year ago

I am sorry, almost forgot Sanjito but why I sense battle even now ?????

And if sanjito here..WHERE IS NOIRRR !!!!!

Takusaka
1 year ago

Thanks for the awesome translation Tsukii!!

Ohh new arc!!

Robinx211
Robinx211
1 year ago

We need more Arthur Heroine Focus, she has been left behind by other Heroine, thank you for translation as always!

EternalFrigidNight
EternalFrigidNight
1 year ago
Reply to  Robinx211

Not a heroine though? She’s a Giant Panda Rival.

Takusaka
1 year ago
Reply to  tsukiisite

Yes! yes! yes! yes!!