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: Derpy
Read at Watashi wa Sugoi Desu!
Chapter 58 – You Are Not Human!! [C]
Hash POV
“You’re Fay, huh.”
“That’s right.”
“You seem to know about me, but maybe I should reintroduce myself just in case.”
“I have no idea who you are.”
“Heeh, to think you don’t know about the deputy leader of Ballrail.”
“I’m not interested, you’re just another gravestone to mark.”
“…gh.”
Fay didn’t move and simply waited patiently for Hash.
Is this guy expecting me to move first? I was ordered to take Aliceia but maybe I should kill this man first…?!
Yet, a loud sense of alarm rang in his brain and images of his own death appeared just as he was about to strike.
W-what the-? Just now… The moment I was about to enter that man’s range, the image of me drenched in blood came to mind. Is it just my imagination?
Hash touched his own skin, but there was no blood there. He couldn’t help but wonder what was with that image earlier.
Does that mean I would be beaten if I entered his range carelessly…? No way, I’m a man who even resorted to corrupting myself with dark art, you know??!!
No, it’s just an illusion. As long as I can cut off his head, it doesn’t matter how great his physical ability is…
But then Hash noticed that Fay might have intentionally avoided moving first.
No, wait. His physical ability and the strength of his gaze is abnormal. Originally, I had the choice to deploy magic and resort to long-range combat to see how it goes. However, Aliceia is behind that man. I can’t afford to have her injured.
Did that man choose not to move because he’s aware of that?! He went ahead of my goal and forced me to resort to close combat, his own specialty…?
I can’t say I’m overthinking it. He is a strong person that caught even Patrick’s eyes. And intruding this barrier is quite the precedent.
No no, calm down. I can use dark art. I also have a regenerative ability. There’s no way I can lose in close combat.
“gh?!”
In the midst of his long internal monologue, he was forced to focus on the person who suddenly appeared in front of his eyes. Fay had rapidly entered Hash’s range and had his fist ready to swing.
H-he’s fast! There wasn’t even a sign of him activating magic! No, maybe he didn’t even use it to begin with?!
“Gafu-!”
Hash was punched and blown away, but his wounds healed immediately. Hash tried to hit back, but Fay attacked him again.
This man’s attack range is extremely close quarters!!
But his attacks aren’t just fast. Because the distance between us is extremely narrow, it makes it difficult to read where the next hit will come from. I never thought I would be pushed this much just by entering his preferred range of combat!!!
Hash futilely tried to fight back again, but he got kicked this time.
How did this man read my attack?! Does he grasp his opponent’s movements just by reading their faint preliminary twitches? That’s something impossible to accomplish unless they had the courage, greatly discerning eyes, a deep understanding about the body, and overwhelming combat experience, you know?!
My regeneration is unable to catch up with the accumulating damage!
Art was consumed every time Hash regenerated so it was impossible to regenerate indefinitely. A half-baked measure was, after all, only capable of that much.
This was a moment that seemed to pass in a flash.
Hash had already collapsed. His art was exhausted.
Overwhelming (physical) strength, a (physical) body capable of unleashing explosive speed, (physical) dynamic visual acuity that could perfectly recognize the openings–
How much does he fight to be able to become something like this…?
Hash realized his defeat as he thought of his leader Patrick. They were childhood friends who vowed to grow stronger together and become the world’s greatest adventurers.
However, Patrick had grown too strong. And as the gap between them grew so much larger, his former rival was losing interest in him, which made Hash angry and feel inferior.
In order to surpass him, Hash desired power. Even if he had to become human scum to do so.
However, Hash came to realize.
The real strong person was in front of him.
How much does the world want to throw me into the depths of despair…!? Even after resorting to becoming scum, why does it show me that there is still something greater!!!
Hash’s eyes slowly closed. Fay already walked ahead. He didn’t even look at Hash and left straight away.
Hash felt that the man’s back was so far away, he could never reach it.
■■
Fay’s POV
The invitation to become a member of a legion by its leader, Patrick, was only worth as much as an invitation into an MLM scheme to me, so I refused. 1
Rather, if he wants to solicit me into joining his legion, then I want to fight first.
If we fight and I lose, I might consider following him, you know?
Huh? The defeated Fay was looking at you, seemingly wanting to become your comrade. Perhaps it could be something like that. 2
Or rather, that Ballrail legion didn’t seem attractive to me to begin with, so I guess it’s more appropriate to say I refused it for that reason.
While doing push-ups, I saw a mysterious cloud appear in the sky. I had no idea what it was, but there was no doubt it was a sign that an event for me, the protagonist, was about to begin, so I ran in that direction.
The muddy water magic-like something fell to the ground and covered a corner of Free City.
“Patrick-sama, what’s this magic barrier?!”
“It seems someone conjured it. But FUH!!! To think it could block even my attacks!”
I guess the barrier was unbreakable by a bunch of mobs. I moved away a little and touched the barrier.
[“A magic barrier, huh… I see, there’s an elaborate effect attached to it.”]
Baragi also served as a commentator, which really helped me.
[“The effect is rejecting art. Moreover the potency is boosted to the extreme. I see, so that’s the reason that Patrick, the so-called ‘strongest man in Free City’, was unable to break it.”]
Hoh~ her explanation was easy to understand. Fumu fumu, I see… So basically, what do you mean by that?
[“It locks out people who have art, with its effect becoming stronger the greater amount of art a person has. The fact a barrier this elaborate was deployed means that it’s a well-planned crime.”]
Fu~hn, I see. So basically, what do you mean by that?
[“Since it is made by the so-called dark art, it can be broken by light art. Even if there’s no light art at hand, that barrier is easy prey for someone like you, who has a low amount of art. Break it with your bare fist. If you reinforce your body with art, it’ll be absorbed by the barrier.”]
Okay, here I go!!!
When I hit the barrier hard with my fist, a hole broke open. I immediately ran into the hole and looked around inside.
As I ran, I saw Aliceia and Morgol with someone else. The man looked like a villain, but he didn’t seem to notice even as I got nearer.
Oi oi, to think he couldn’t even notice the aura of me, the protagonist. He must be a small fry.
[“For the time being, just stab him from the back. He bears dark art with him. As far as I know, none of them are decent people.”]
Baragi also had the same opinion and the man kept talking and didn’t seem to notice me, so I stabbed him in the back.
After that, I beat him barehanded, relying on the difference in our physical ability to defeat him.
[“You sure sum it up lightly. That one could be considered a decent opponent.”]
Aliceia seemed to be in pain, so I couldn’t enjoy the afterglow of combat. Normally, I would look back and think about things like “that one hit sure was effective!”
Or something like that, but at that time, it felt like the BGM went from being cornered in a situation to victory BGM like an anime OP theme, such was the impression I wanted to give but…
Aliceia had always taken care of me when I collapsed, so I should take care of her this time. What a considerate protagonist I am.
“Haah– haah– Oniichan (Fay).”
Aliceia seemed to mutter something. There sure were many people looking for their brothers, or rather, there really were many.
Morgol seemed to be a mob character who insisted she was my little sister too. Perhaps the novel game, Round Table Heroes, was made when such a theme was trendy?
I had no time to think of such nonsense. I had to take care of Aliceia, who was down with a fever.
I carried her on my back to Felmi’s house, laid her down on the bed, wiped her sweat down, changed her clothes… 3
I see, so this was how she always took care of me. I guess I will continue to trouble her from now on as well.
There will definitely be battles against strong people in the future after all. But I will never forget to show my gratitude!! Thank you for taking care of me, from now till forever too!
[“No, you should behave better to make her worry less.”]
That would be impossible. I was the protagonist after all. There will definitely be fights where I end up fainting or seriously injured, waiting for me in the future after all.
Author’s Note:
Thank you for your usual support!
A light novel version has been released on TO Books.
The Story of a Cannon Fodder who Firmly Believed He was the Protagonist, Misunderstood the Actual Protagonist as the Cannon Fodder, and Ended up Victorious!
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