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: Sour
Read at Watashi wa Sugoi Desu!
Chapter 046 – Emilia [A]
I was weak and painfully aware of it now. I was newly admitted to the knight brigade as a new paladin candidate. I (Emilia) was always training, so I should be strong, and there should have been no way I could lose against anyone. That was what I thought.
However, I couldn’t match the girl named Galahad who was also admitted to the knight brigade on the same team. Our talent and the quality of our powers were too different. Moreover, I also lost to the girl named Heimi. She seemed to have learnt magic just recently, but she was already ahead of me.
I was no match for them, and I couldn’t win. I was made aware that people who were stronger and scarier than I existed in the world.
My self-confidence was collapsing. It was at that moment I heard about something, a dunce similar to me last year. It was said that the person also kept losing and had to do rounds around the capital on his hands every single day.
Moreover, that paladin learned swordsmanship from the Garethia family and still didn’t manage to rise in grade despite a year already passing.
I became curious about that dunce, who chose to learn swordsmanship from the infamous Garethia family. I began to search for that person.
And after gathering information, I learned it was him, the unpleasant senior with unfriendly eyes who always practiced at my usual place.
Knowing he was the person I was looking for, I decided to talk to him. Why did he keep fighting as a paladin? Did he not panic because everyone around him was already ahead? Why did he still have a cool face despite such circumstances?
I couldn’t help but be curious about it.
◆◆
Two swords intersected with a ringing clash. It was a daily routine for Yururu and became an unchanging habit for her. Because her disciple Fay was a training junkie, he had driven her to put in more effort than necessary.
Fay-kun…!
She would normally feel happy that her disciple needed her. However, she couldn’t feel such happiness now. The difference of skills between her and her disciple Fay was widening.
Fay swung his sword. Yururu tried to deflect it with the proper stance but before she could move, his sword already clanged against hers. He was more skilled in the sword clash and she couldn’t deflect it.
Her sword was knocked away, but she didn’t lose her grip. However, she realized that her sword wasn’t close enough to her body, so she immediately tried to correct her trajectory, but Fay’s sword was already near her face.
Her sword was already too late to defend against that. She would be dead if it was a real battle. In other words, it was the complete defeat of Yururu Garethia.
“I’ve lost, I see.”
“So it seems.”
“Somehow… I haven’t been able to beat Fay-kun recently.”
“It’s just proof I’ve become stronger thanks to you.”
“Ahaha, thank you…”
It feels both happy yet lonely somehow… He keeps moving ahead, maybe I’ll no longer see his back. I’m sure he no longer needs me as a warrior.
Rather, I feel like I’m holding him back.
I can’t improve his ability. The fact he didn’t improve much is the proof. Even though I have to help him improve as his master… but my skill is lacking…
But there’s one more reason why his growth is no longer noticeable… It is the worst thought to have as an instructor, but… I think Fay-kun’s growth has reached his limit.
Yururu’s knowledge and understanding to see one’s potential regarding swordsmanship was better than most people. That was why she could notice the fact Fay’s ability was already far superior than hers, and his growth potential was gradually disappearing at the same time.
“F-Fay-kun… I-I’m sorry. I should be more reliable in this situation.”
“Don’t worry about it. Also, I think I mentioned you shouldn’t be quick to apologize before.”
“Ah, you did say that.”
Her frustration seemed to be felt by him as Fay looked at his own hand and clenched it many times.
“What’s wrong, Fay-kun?”
“…Returning to my origin, huh. So that’s why I’m now—”
“F-Fay-kun?”
“Oi, did you remember what you made me do for the first time?”
“Err, if it was about Fay-kun and me, well, you stopped my rampage… and you were also doing rounds around the royal capital upside down.”
“That’s it.”
“T-that’s it?”
Fay muttered as he came to a decision. He then left his sword in her hands. Then he put his hands on the ground and began to walk upside down.
“F-Fay-kun?! What are you doing all of the sudden?”
“I’m worried about my slow growth recently.”
“T-that’s—“
“It’s not your fault. The responsibility is mine. This is my trial. Don’t worry about it.”
“Y-yes.”
“This slow growth of mine… is certainly annoying. However, I already decided from the beginning that I would stand at the pinnacle as the strongest…I would run once again without forgetting my original intention.”
“…!”
“I have no leisure to keep my head down and worry about it.”
—As expected, this person… is so cool.
He arrogantly ridiculed the world’s trials, his lack of talent, and all sorts of difficulties. His face was decorated with a smile like a devil. However, she found that to be cool.
He started to run again. Upside down, around the royal capital…
The legendary upside down man had returned.
◆◆
“Haah, haah… this is tough.”
Emilia was walking around the capital upside down. It was because she was defeated by both Heimi and Galahad from the same team. Emilia was on her temporary enlistment period, and they practiced through sparring every day.
Just like Fay’s group back then, she was part of the special unit and trained every day. Every time they lost, the defeated had to go around the royal capital upside down.
I lost again… I can’t see myself win against Galahad… My skill difference with Heimi also widens with every fight… my heart feels like it’s breaking.
She was practically going around the royal capital upside down every day. As she repeatedly did this over and over, she gradually gained strength. However, the members of the team she belonged to were both anomalous people who stepped farther than she was with every growth she achieved.
She couldn’t help but find that painful.
—I’m doing my best. Yet I don’t feel rewarded by my effort. Even though I did my best, why did it turn out this way?
Her anxiety accumulated in her heart. She felt her desire to grow stronger disappearing into ashes. In “Round Table Heroes,” she also suffered the same anxiety.
However, she served as a potential heroine in that story and her interaction with Tlue slightly lightened her burden, allowing a slight composure for her, but there was the addition of the anomalous member known as Heimi here. Moreover, she didn’t have any contact with Tlue, making her painfully aware of the fluctuation of her own strength.
Her irritation from falling miserably over and over, yet still choosing to proceed forward grew every day. There would be people around ridiculing her sometimes, and she found that painful as well. There were some people who cheered for her, but she couldn’t help but focus on the jeering of others.
She continued to walk upside down but she lost her balance and fell over again. She thought she could hear someone ridiculing her… but the next moment, she heard cheers.
“Oooohhhh!”
“Onii-chaaaan!”
“He’s coming, coming, coming, coming!!”
“He has returned!”
She wondered who the person the people were referring to. When she looked back, she saw the appearance of the senior paladin who moved at unbelievable speed despite being upside down.
“Ah…”
Emilia knew the man. After all, he was the person she was looking up to recently. It was the male swordsman who used the cursed Garethia swordsmanship, Fay. Just as she wondered how to talk to him, he already went ahead of her.
“It’s been a long time since I last saw that brat.”
“He has grown a lot.”
“Time sure goes quickly.”
Emilia realized the man was actually quite well-liked. She had heard bad rumors about him… but she came to the conclusion he was surprisingly well-liked by the general public.
That’s right. I have something to ask him…
Thinking so, Emilia realized she wouldn’t be able to catch up with him by walking upside down, so she went back to standing on her feet and ran. Her figure as she waved her arms and ran like a gale was beautiful.
Wait. There’s something I want to ask…?! I can’t catch up with him at all?!
She was running normally while the man was moving upside down. However, she still couldn’t catch up with him. She could catch up to normal people easily, but Fay’s physical ability was clearly superior compared to average people.
She desperately ran to catch up with him, but she could only see his belly and didn’t seem to get any closer. Even so, she still kept chasing after him. She kept running even as she began to run out of breath, and the sky was already dark before she knew it.
He then returned to the usual location with three trees and finally lowered legs that were facing the sky to the ground.
His forehead was sweaty and he coughed a bit. It was the result of abusing his body to the extreme. However, Emilia was also exhausted. It was natural for her, a newcomer who was trying to keep up with Fay.
And before she forgot the topic, she proceeded to ask him.
“Um, I have something I want to ask you.”
“…”
Fay turned his sharp gaze toward this junior. She took a step back at the gaze that seemed to be trying to determine her value. However, undaunted, she moved closer.
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.
Trying to chase Fay is like trying to chase Octane from Apex.
Lol she doesn’t know how strong he actually is or that he’s basically a third ranked paladin who refused it huh? Or rather 8th officially.
Man, Fay has grown. That feeling of Emilia
yea, a year have passed since h is active paladin after all
This novel too a year already?