Trails with Cuddle-Cuddle Osbon
Translator: Tsukii
Editor: Helen
Read at Watashi wa Sugoi Desu!
Author Note:
I wanted to bring out Sister Leo, but bringing Ash out is already the best I can. This is the end of the May field study.
Musse ended up appearing more than I had expected.
I tried to limit her appearances to that of Kurt, but when I actually wrote it, it didn’t feel like that at all.
The reason why Maya appeared a little more often was because of the author’s favor.
We will be returning to the slice-of-life chapters, so please enjoy that for a while.
Thank you for the typo reports as always.
Chapter 033 – Fufufu, son. This is the Result of the May Field Study
“Haah~ it’s permeating into me~”
“That’s not someone else’s problem. Normally, you are supposed to be resting to recover.”
Despite the worries of his friends, the culprit himself was taken care of in a place known as the Egret Family house. Apparently, it was Musse’s grandfather’s house.
Maya, who seemed to have been temporarily hired as a servant there, under Musse’s introductions, was currently in the room, acting as Rean’s caretaker.
Maya was there when Rean was brought here, so some things happened, which led to her being in charge of taking care of Rean until he returned to Trista.
From Maya’s perspective, she didn’t need to be paid since she was taking care of her benefactor, but it seemed her salary was still properly given to her, so Rean was relieved.
Her mother, whom Rean helped yesterday, seemed to be well-versed in eastern culture, and Maya wore a maid uniform over her eastern-style clothes, making her look unusual.
Even from Rean’s perspective, who was familiar with eastern culture, thanks to Old Master, felt like he was looking at something odd.
After he swallowed the medicine that the eastern-style maid had handed to him, he felt it permeate his body.
“It feels more like an eastern herbal medicine than a therapeutic drug.”
“It might be so. There seem to be many types of oral medicines that heal the body from within, in the east.”
“Did you use them when you caught the cold, Maya?”
“Yes. My mother prepared some for me. Does Rean-san use them as well?”
“I am a healthy child, but when my younger sister caught a cold in the past, I asked the Old Master to find medicine for her.”
“You have a younger sister?”
“She goes to St. Astrea Girls’ Academy in the Imperial Capital…… let’s not tell her about my injury this time.”
“I think you should tell your family the truth. Things will become complicated if you try to keep it a secret. I will write the letter for you if you tell me the content, so I think you should send the letter properly…… I’ll bring you dinner, so please lie down properly.”
Maya said words that were strangely filled with emotions and left the room, placing the empty teacup on a tray.
Even as Rean felt itchy after being taken care of by a younger girl, Rean recalled what happened at that time.
＊
Rean regained consciousness from the image of death and realized that he was sprawled out, asleep.
He tried to stand up immediately, but the pain that shot through his chest caused him to groan and fell to his knees.
When Rean felt the presence in front of him and looked up, he saw McBurn looking down at himself happily.
“So you’re already awake. Kukuh, you’re good. You’re making me heated up.”
“Hahah…… I don’t really understand what happened, though.”
“You made me use this move in a one to one combat. It means that you have potential.”
“Then can we be friends?”
“You’re so consistent about that. But it’s not enough. You’re not making me heated up enough to the deepest part of my heart yet.”
McBurn’s appearance had changed, just like when Rean was using his power of ogre.
The scarlet aura was mixed with black, and something that could be called black flame covered McBurn’s entire body, emitting a heat that felt like it could burn one’s body just by being near.
Rean thought McBurn was the same as him, but Osbon immediately denied that.
[“Fufufu, that’s a different kind of Divergent Law’s power from what you have. No matter how hard the current you try, you can’t reach him.”]
“Heeh, you’re a very knowledgeable doll.”
[“I’ll accept that as a compliment.”]
{“But Osbon. Doesn’t that mean this is a desperate situation?”}
“…………Are you the Divine Knight? What’s going on here?”
“That one over there is the main body that Emma controls, but the soul of the Divine Knight resides inside me.”
“You’re becoming harder to understand…… but, oh well. I just came to see how good that toy(Panzer Soldat) was, but I was in for quite a surprise.”
With that, McBurn returned to his normal appearance and put his glasses back on.
The way he turned on his heels gave Rean the feeling he was going to leave this place.
“P-please wait. I’m not yet——”
“Kuku, I’m afraid that’s impossible. But don’t worry. We’ll meet again in the future anyway. According to Anguis, something will happen within this year.”
“…………?”
“Just try to make me more serious when the time comes. As for your request, I’ll think about it if you get better when we meet again.”
“I’ll take your words for it, okay?”
“Hah, then do your best to make it happen——”
＋
When Rean realized that he had been dismissed, Osbon told him Emma and others were in danger so Rean intervened with Valimar’s teleportation skill… but things didn’t go as well as he expected.
As soon as the Zephyr left and the danger was gone, Rean let his guard down and collapsed.
“In the end, I wonder what that person was like.”
[“Fufufu, if you don’t know, it would be a good idea to ask Miss Vita about it. She is a ‘witch’ who blends into the Imperial Capital after all. She probably knows a lot of things.”]
“Ah~ you’re right. I guess I’ll send a postcard to Abend Time once I return to Trista. Maybe it’s faster if I just ask Beryl?”
[“Fufufu, I recommend you ask Miss Vita first. You can ask Miss Beryl at any time, after all.”]
{“But Rean. Leaving your goal aside, what will you do when you fight McBurn again?”}
“That’s the problem. It doesn’t seem like my sword and Valimar’s fist are effective against him, and above all, if he fights seriously, my weapon probably won’t last.”
{“Umu. It is certainly worrying that the weapon became useless after hitting him.”}
Rean thought of his tachi with a melted blade, and that if that happened to tachi that got reinforced by power of ogre and Power of Ashen, then half-assed weapons wouldn’t be able to break through that flame…… the black flame.
[“For now, you should get a weapon made from Zemurian Ore. Both for yourself and for Valimar.”]
“Valimar too?”
{“The choice of a weapon device is certainly important. If my main body, controlled by Emma, had a weapon, the result of that battle might have changed.”}
“So you mean maybe Emma could have chased the two from Zephyr away if Valimar’s main body was swinging a sword instead of punching and kicking… But are there really any Zemurian Ore conveniently lying around?”
[“Fufufu, son. Vali-kun’s main body is made of Zemurian Ore——”]
{“Osbon, you should stop there.”}
[“Fufufu, I’m just joking. You should ask Emma and others about it once you return. If you don’t know about it, you can just go to Eryn. Since they are well-versed with Divine Knights, they should have information.”]
“Okay, then I’ll ask Emma to go with me to Eryn on my next free day!”
[“Fufufu, son. Before that, you shouldn’t forget about aftercare.”]
“Aftercare?”
[“It’s about the person who requested the group to go to Bryonia Island. In other words——”]
Rean then decided on his future plans, but when Maya returned to the room with dinner, he asked her to write the letter for him.
By the way, after worrying whether to have Maya feed him or endure the pain and eat himself, Rean decided to have Loa Valimar, which was independent to him, bring the food to his mouth.
＊
The view from the window of the train heading from Ordis to Trista showed that night had already fallen.
Alisa, who was sitting next to Emma, was sleeping soundly with Emma’s shoulder as her pillow, and Gaius and Elliot, who were sitting across from her, were also resting and recovering from the day’s fatigue.
Meanwhile, Emma was absentmindedly looking out the window while patting Celine’s head, who was resting on her lap.
Rean was nowhere to be found in Class VII Group A, who were heading to Trista after completing their field study.
After Emma snapped out of her daze at the sound of Alisa’s call on the island, she managed to treat Rean using recovery magic on the orbal boat.
Was it under the influence of Osbon or Valimar, or perhaps both of them? Rean’s recovery after the treatment was astounding, and he regained consciousness upon reaching the port.
Rean’s decision was clear and he intended to return to Trista together with Emma and others, but others unanimously decided to force him to stay in Ordis.
Seeing how Rean made her so anxious and didn’t seem to understand her worries, Emma was beyond angry and became emotionless. Since it was not good to hit a wounded person, Emma even considered using mystic eyes to make him apologize.
Although the group was a little surprised by the intensity of Emma’s emotions, Group A reported he day’s activities to Sara and Aurelia, and finished their field study, leaving Rean in the port city.
In particular, the group thought that the information about how Zephyr and Panzer Soldat were spotted on Bryonia Island were valuable enough that Sara’s voice became serious.
However, that wasn’t what Emma had in mind——
“Are you thinking about him?”
Celine called out to Emma, who was in a daze.
There were no other passengers around, and the other three were asleep, so Celine felt free to speak.
“It’s about him after all, there’s no point in thinking about him. Rather Celine, is it okay for you not to accompany him?”
“Isn’t there the girl, that idiot saved yesterday, taking care of him there? Seeing her attitude, she will likely be watching over him until he falls asleep, so it should be okay without me there.”
“Fufu, I wonder who was the one panicking when they saw Rean-san was seriously injured again?”
“I-I don’t know about that.”
“I am worried. Well, it doesn’t seem worth anything to Rean-san, though.”
“Emma, are you angry?”
“I am angry.”
“I-I see.”
Celine thought it was better not to provoke the angry witch and didn’t retort further.
Leaving her familiar aside, Emma thought about Rean.
He did things as he liked and was selfish.
That was Emma’s evaluation of him every time she thought of him.
Since that was the case, she should also behave like that and become a weight to pull him down so that he won’t be as selfish.
Otherwise, he would do things as he liked freely and it was likely he would end up somewhere outside her reach.
“As a witch who guides the Awakener……”
“Guiding him is quite difficult, though.”
Emma understood that without being told.
From the time they met until now, there had almost never been a time when she hadn’t been surprised by him, after all.
“But that’s not enough to stop Rean-san.”
“Hearing those circumstances, I think those wounds are just him reaping what he sowed, though……”
The reason he was heavily injured was to make a friend.
That was Rean’s personal purpose, even if he wasn’t an Awakener.
Rean came to Thors in search of people who could see Osbon after all, so if things went slightly different, he might never have come to Thors to begin with.
He was someone who had no intention to stop making friends even after he suffered a near-death injury as a result of it, after all.
Even after Rean was aware of how much of a threat that man was to everyone after he melted the Panzer Soldat, the fact that the said person could see Osbon held greater value to Rean.
Rean was so fixed on that to the point his own survival became less of a priority.
If that continued, Emma felt like she would have a decisive breakdown when the time came.
In that case, Emma had to catch up with Rean, who had run far ahead of her, and became strong enough to stop him when she had to, even if she had to punch him for that.
At the very least, if Emma tried her best, she should be able to contain McBurn’s flame somehow.
Instead of being helped, had Emma helped Rean, she thought he wouldn’t end up like that.
“Celine. I’ll return to Eryn on my next free day.”
“Eh?”
“I’ll have to ask Obaa-chan to train me. I’m also thinking of learning hypnotic magic to make Rean have a little more reservation on making friends. I thought I had gotten rid of my reservations towards him, but it seems like it’s not enough.”
“I-I see. Since that Osbon is there, I think the spell will just get dispelled.”
“I’ll talk to Osbon-san about that. I’ll be more selfish too.”
Seeing the sight of her master laughing with her glasses flashing, Celine repeated insults towards Rean in her mind, all while hoping that Emma’s anger would soon subside.
＊
When Aurelia returned to her office at Juno, there was a female student wearing St. Astraia Girls’ Academy’s uniform sitting on the sofa with a suitcase next to her.
But the girl’s face was downcast as if she was absorbed in something, and she didn’t seem to notice Aurelia entering the room.
“Mildine-sama.”
“Ah…………”
When her name was called, Mildine—— Musse finally raised her face.
Aurelia looked down and saw the girl was holding a letter that was divided into several pages.
For Aurelia, whose eyesight was so good that she tended to wear glasses to impair her eyesight, it was easy for her to understand the entire letter just by skimming through it.
“Regarding Schwarzer.”
“Gh.”
When Aurelia mentioned that name, Musse’s body trembled.
Aurelia let out a faint sigh, realizing once again that the girl in front of her was someone who was going to turn fourteen years old this year.
“It seems like he is currently staying at the Egret House.”
“Yes…… his injuries have been treated, but since his wounds were originally severe, he was told to rest for a few days. Maya and Grandfather are taking care of him now……”
After returning from Bryonia Island, Class VII Group A was carrying Rean who had suffered severe burns, and they were immediately guided by Musse, who was waiting for them at the port, to the Egret House.
First aid was administered using items and Arts, and Rean had regained consciousness thanks to the potion Emma had used on him on their return trip on the orbal boat, but he was still required to have a complete bed rest and was forced to extend his stay by a few days.
Maya, the new servant that was hired, seemed to be busily taking care of her benefactor in his time of crisis, so there shouldn’t be any problems if he was left to her care.
This matter was passed on to Sara by Class VII Group A and Aurelia, and naturally the lack of supervision was pointed out.
Group A brought back information from the involvement, but it seemed Sara’s concern for Rean and others was her priority.
In that sense, Sara might be an excellent instructor who could guide her student, but as a soldier… was what Aurelia thought for a moment before she recalled Sara was formerly a Bracer before becoming academy instructor, so it didn’t matter.
“As for that certain nobleman, he suffered a loss of his Panzer Soldat and now that he has understood the reality of the world, his arrogance will likely decline.”
It all began from the decision to change the nobles’ ways of thinking.
Many of the officers in the Territorial Army who were of noble origin had a strong sense of pride as nobles, and while they had a fair amount of ability, their bloated pride made them pile up stress at the fact they had to receive instructions from jaegers.
Zephyr —— the escorts employed by Duke Cayenne, were ordered to instruct the nobles on how to control the Panzer Soldat that the nobles developed in secret.
Before Professor Schmidt came to Thors Military Academy, he had drawn the blueprints for the machine so that it could be mass-produced using Reinford’s technology.
The Panzer Soldat that was expected to bring a shocking revolution on the battlefield required a certain level of operational skills. Zephyr was hired to act as their instructor and escort…… but naturally, there was no way nobles would obediently listen to the jaegers’ instructions, so the limit of their growth became a problem.
For that reason, a request was given to the jaegers to break that arrogance by defeating the Panzer Soldat controlled by a soldier who had great pride as a noble, with bare flesh.
Considering the incident on Bryonia Island, the jaegers had completed the request without incident, but the fact a different force that Duke Cayenne allied with ——that the organization called Ouroboros which was also known as Society, would send their agent there was something Aurelia didn’t expect.
Looking back, the reason Aurelia’s training with Rean was interrupted yesterday was to introduce Aurelia to those collaborators.
Still, the fact they managed to return alive with the information could be considered a victory, thought Aurelia, but that didn’t seem to comfort Musse at all.
“Your move has certainly changed the tide. It’s a result to be proud of.”
“But because of that, Rean-san is now……”
As Aurelia said, Group A learned about the existence of the Zephyr and Panzer Soldat there.
The fact that that information was brought back to Thors was undoubtedly due to Musse’s move.
However, the unexpected move Musse made through Rean was blocked by another move Musse didn’t expect.
To sum it up, that was all that happened.
But a human’s mind will definitely not be convinced with just that.
People might die because of her.
Musse’s mind was too small to bear that burden, being merely that of a girl.
“Your rest day is already over, but there’s no problem if it’s extended by a day. I can inform that to the girls’ academy if you wish, though?”
Aurelia implicitly encouraged Musse to visit Rean.
Musse couldn’t agree with that.
Given another year or two, she might have the resolve to hide her burden from others, but for a girl who still attended a girls’ academy, “that” was too much to ask for.
However, Aurelia had already predicted Musse would take such an action.
“I knew it would be like this, so I received a letter.”
“I see…… I’ll read it lat——”
“The sender appears to be a person named Rean Schwarzer.”
“Eh?”
“He had already regained consciousness and is well enough to send this letter.”
As Musse stared, dumbfounded, Aurelia handed the letter to her.
Before coming here, Aurelia stopped by the Egret House and saw the boy was tied to the bed but talking to Maya.
She had heard that he was in critical condition and that his injuries had not yet healed, but Rean had already put that aside and told Aurelia of his new goal —— his interest toward the person called McBurn the Almighty Conflagration that defeated him on the island.
Although the difference of strength was clear, the boy told the Golden Rakshasa that he would eventually catch up and asked her to help with his training if she had the opportunity.
The boy would surely do reckless things, get wounded, yet still accomplish things.
Those watching him from the sidelines wouldn’t have peace of mind, and they would get the feeling that the boy would leave everyone behind and advance alone.
That was why Aurelia said this.
“Rather than worrying about that, boy, I think you’ll find it easier to just force your troubles on him. After all——”
[“——Please don’t worry about my wounds. Thanks to them, I had a good opportunity. I’d actually like to thank the person who issued the request instead. Well, I’ll write it through a letter.”]
He was someone who said things like that.
The letter would surely contain his gratitude to Musse…… that said, it was Maya who wrote the letter for Rean.
He was a man who, without any hesitation, threw away a conflict that could change a girl’s life. There was no point in worrying about such a person.
“……Fufu…… ahaha………… I see, so that’s what he said.”
Musse’s voice regained strength.
Rean didn’t seem to mind being moved as a pawn, and he even gave words of concern that sounded somewhat like an insult.
No, to put it more simply——
“I’ve never met someone who doesn’t understand the hearts of others like this before.”
There was no trace of sadness on Musse’s face as she spoke.
“In that case, it’s better to imagine the troubled look on his face as you move him. Your ‘hand’ might feel heavy because you are conscious of your surroundings, but when it comes to Schwarzer, he might actually carry your hand high up instead.”
“You’re right. Not only will I not feel the weight of the pawn on my hand, it might even lift me to the sky together with it the moment I grab it. I’m sure no one else could make me feel that way.”
Then the two looked at each other and laughed.
If you want to get stronger, then I’ll help.
Since it won’t be a burden for you to collaborate with me, I’ll rely on you without hesitation.
The fact their intentions coincided foreshadowed the troubles that would befall on Rean in the future.
Author Note:
The day before the recording of Abend Time.
Misty
“Another postcard from Rean-kun…… I guess I have no choice but take a look.”
Cuddle-Cuddle Osbon
“Please tell me more about the person called McBurn the Almighty Conflagration.”
Misty
( ﾟдﾟ) ……
(つд⊂) wipe wipe
(；ﾟдﾟ) ……
(つд⊂) wipe wipe wipe
(；ﾟ Дﾟ) ……！？
Rip.1
Want early access to Cannon Fodder, Melancholy of the Demon Army Officer, and I Was a Man Before Reincarnating, So I Refuse a Reverse Harem? Support the translator on Patreon!
