Trails with Cuddle-Cuddle Osbon
Translator: Tsukii
Editor: Helen
Read at Watashi wa Sugoi Desu!
Chapter 041 – Fufufu, son. Happy Birthday [B]
After finishing his classes for the day, Rean headed to the training grounds after a quick marathon and a fishing trip, as he did not have any tasks awaiting him for the day.
He went there to train, but also because he would be meeting Beryl there.
But before that,
[“——I think you will have a lot of visitors today, so I’ll come when the time is right.”]
She left behind a mysterious message.
[“Fufufu, don’t worry about that, son. Her intentions aren’t bad. Rather, she was only saying that for your sake. That Miss Beryl, that is.”]
Wait, does dad know something?
[“She said things in a way only I can understand.”]
I was left out? Don’t just leave me in the dark.
{“I’m also left in the dark.”}
You too, Valimar? So Beryl really can see dad, after all.
[“Fufufu, don’t sulk, both of you. Leaving aside whether Miss Beryl can see me or not, it’s not a prank or anything like that. You should just shut up and be grateful for what will be coming.”]
As if in response to Osbon’s words, the training grounds seemed somewhat different from usual.
First, when Rean first arrived at the training ground, a group of noble students, including Patrick, were waiting for him.
“We’re using this place right now. If you want to use it no matter what—— what, you are going elsewhere instead? Wait, if you come all the way here and are not going to use it, what’s the point of coming to the training ground? Eh, it’s okay just because we’re using it? No, that’s not it, you don’t have to…… Eei, what a hassle! Anyway, let’s have a fair fight, Schwarzer!”
For some reason, Patrick and his group were being defiant and attacked Rean, resulting in a fight.
Even with his raw abilities, without using power of ogre or the Power of Ashen, Rean was strong enough to compete with Sara and Neithardt to some extent, putting him just one foot in the expert class.
Therefore, even if his opponents were military academy students, made up of elites from all over the Empire, Patrick and other noble students, who were still on the student level, weren’t much of a threat to Rean.
But for some reason, Patrick held on today.
“Wait…… I can still get up……This battle, is not…… over yet!”
Even though the students around him had already been defeated and he was left standing against Rean alone, Patrick’s fighting spirit remained undiminished and he boldly challenged Rean.
Though confused, Rean responded to Patrick’s fighting spirit and knocked Patrick unconscious without hesitation.
Although it was a blow from the blunt side of his tachi, the blow easily penetrated Patrick’s previously prepared defense.
However, Patrick refused to give up and continued to fight Rean until he fainted.
Seeing Patrick being carried by the noble students, who were now looking at Rean with fear, but much more respect, as they made their way to infirmary, Rean felt that he should learn from Patrick’s fighting spirit.
[“Fufufu, son. It seems like Patrick-kun isn’t the only one you’ll fight against today.”]
“Eh?”
“It seems he’s already doing it. I didn’t think that even the students from Class I would be involved, though……”
As if taking Patrick’s place, this time, Machias, Jusis, Laura, and even Fie came.
Moreover, they were in combat stances, with their weapon ready from the start.
[“Fufufu, son. What Miss Beryl had said earlier…… you should understand what it means by now, don’t you?”]
‘A lot of visitors’ ……
{“Rean. It seems like everyone wants to fight against you today.”}
Why is that……?
[“Fufufu, that’s——”]
{“They must have been influenced by you recently. Just like how Rean trained with Aurelia, Sara, and Neithardt, they want to use you to train.”}
I see…… It seems Valimar has also learnt to understand people’s emotions better.
{“Fufufu, it is all thanks to Obson and your guidance.”}
Rean thought Valimar’s words made sense and was convinced.
Osbon didn’t say anything, but he was probably impressed by Valimar’s growth.
Rean once again pointed his weapon at the four.
“Well then, will you come one by one? Or maybe——”
“That would be too frustrating, but we will fight you as a group of four.”
“I look forward to the fight.”
“We’ve thought up countermeasures…… But it is still going to be difficult.”
“But there’s no need to be afraid. Take our attacks.”
Whether intentional or by chance, seeing the same group arrangement as the Parm group made the corner of Rean’s mouth quirk up to form a smile.
“Rean-san, we’d like you to fight us, after that.”
“It might be hard for you to fight several times in succession, so let us know if it’s too tough for you.”
“That said, I think Rean would be able to handle it easily.”
“Fufu, I’m not sure whether to say that he’s reliable or that we should be ashamed of our shortcomings.”
The members from the Ordis Group also began to gather.
This made Rean think that it wasn’t a coincidence, but intentional.
[“Fufufu, it’s sad to be facing all of them alone, but I guess it can’t be helped, considering the differences in ability?”]
{“Fuh, Rean could just ask for joint practice sessions from now on.”}
Everyone has their respective club activities and such, so it’s unlikely for all of us to gather together like this, but I’ll consider it.
As for Rean’s training, since it was consecutive matches with all the members of Class VII, instead of individual matches, it certainly wasn’t a waste.
“I have no intention of losing, okay? If you’re fine with that, then come on!”
“OH!”
As the fighters let out bursts of motivation, the training ground was filled with the students’ fighting spirits.
The clash between Rean and the other members of Class VII continued late into the night, when their stamina was exhausted.
＊
“Haah, haah, haah…… Aah, Beryl.”
When Beryl visited the training ground, she was greeted by a fighting spirit, emanating from Rean and the others, which had a wind-like pressure.
The battle had already been concluded, and while Rean was dripping with sweat, his breathing was barely irregular and he was maintaining a steady posture with steady shoulders.
From what Beryl could see, it seemed that Rean’s stamina was exhausted, but his strong will seemed to be holding him back from passing out.
The same could be said for the members of Class VII, who were either sprawled on the ground, crouching, or supporting themselves with their weapons and knees, yet still looking up at Rean.
In the end, even with all of them fighting together, they were unable to make Rean fall to his knees, and this frustration was especially felt keenly by Laura, Fie, and Jusis.
Emma, who had known Rean for a longer time in comparison, was also gasping for breath and sat down with her hands between her legs.
“Kuh…………”
“Re……gre………t”
“I guess, we’re still no match, for him……”
Those who could still speak were venting out their emotions, but the relatively normal people like Alisa, Elliot, and Machias, were busy catching their breath and unable to speak.
Then a new person came in.
“Thank you for your hard work, everyone. This might be presumptuous, but if you don’t mind, please have some……”
The one who said this was Rosine, who was wearing her school uniform and holding a basket.
The basket contained paper cups, large bottles, and light meals.
Steaming white rice sprinkled with salt formed a dish called rice ball, which was brought over from the East and popularized in Ymir by the Old Master.
It seemed that Rosine had prepared three different types.
“This is……”
“I was once taught how to cook Ymir dishes, so I tried to make it.”
“It makes me happy, thanks. Well then, let’s eat.”
Rean picked up the salted rice ball and chewed it, savoring the taste as he swallowed more bites.
Perhaps because the salt had been absorbed into his sweaty body, the scene of Rean hungrily eating aroused the sight of the other members of Class VII who were sprawled on the ground but slowly crawling over to Rosine.
“It’s tasty.”
Such a simple sentence fully conveyed Rean’s opinion.
The sincere emotions in his words and the way he gobbled down the remaining two types of rice balls, one after another, conveyed the compliment to Rosine and brought a smile to her face.
Rosine nodded in satisfaction and handed the portions to the members of Class VII who approached her without backing down. 1
Rean approached Beryl, who was watching the scene, and sat down while leaning his back against the door of the entrance of the training grounds.
Naturally, Beryl stood next to Rean.
“Ufufu, looks like you are having an enjoyable time.”
“Aah. Everyone has gotten so much stronger. It’s not even been a month since Emma and the others came there. Elliot, for example, managed to transform his magic staff into an instrument, whenever he plays it, everyone in the range of his music begins to recover. It’s amazing how he can perform such wide-area healing so quickly.”
“But it seems it is still not enough for them to defeat you, though?”
“That’s not true. It was tough to handle the coordination of their tactical link, and while it was just for a moment, I ended up using the power of ogre. It was a training session that felt fulfilling in a different sense compared to the ones I had with Instructor Sara and Instructor Neithardt.”
“I see. I’m glad that you enjoyed the present.”
“……………Eh?”
“Is something wrong?”
“Present?”
“That’s right. Today is your birthday, right, Rean-kun? I didn’t tell you on purpose why I called you here because it was part of the surprise. That included what happened with Patrick-kun earlier.”
Rean froze with the half-eaten rice ball still in his mouth.
His expression was as if he had encountered something unexpected.
“Rean-kun has been training hard recently in order to become friends with the Almighty Conflagration, so I told Emma-san that the perfect present for you would be quality training. That’s why the present was to help you to get stronger.”
The top of the triangle-shaped rice ball was slowly nibbled on.
Rean chewed and swallowed, before muttering softly.
“I see………………”
His body shook for a moment, and then he looked down as he smiled.
“So that’s how it is…………”
After laughing for a moment, Rean looked up at Beryl.
“Thanks. It’s Beryl who planned this, right?”
The smile he showed Beryl was the gentlest expression she had ever seen from Rean.
For some reason, Beryl stopped speaking for just a moment, and then she unconsciously turned her eyes to look forward.
“All I did…… was just deliver a message.”
“But still, thanks. Beryl.”
Rean also followed Beryl and looked the same direction.
Rean’s eyes that had only had Emma and Rosine before now reflected the classmates of Class VII.
Rean just wanted to continue gazing at such a sight.
“—————I see.”
Beryl also didn’t interrupt with Rean’s actions.
Beryl gazed up at the students of Class VII crowding around the rice balls that Rosine had prepared and continued to stare silently at the scene together with Rean.
Author Note:
Since there was no birthday event in the game, I included such an event in this fanfic.
There aren’t many Trails characters whose birthdays are known in the first place…
Even Rean’s birthday was only said to be in May, but we don’t know the exact date.
I made Beryl’s power of divination clearer compared to that in the game version.
That said, in the game version, despite claiming that she couldn’t see beyond, she was said to have reached the causality on True Ending, so it’s possible that she actually knew everything but was just not willing to say anything…
Beryl is as mysterious as ever, but I hope you found my portrayal of her charming.
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