Trails with Cuddle-Cuddle Osbon
Translator: Tsukii
Editor: Helen
Read at Watashi wa Sugoi Desu!
Author Note:
I think this character has the potential to be made a main character instead of a sub character.
And perhaps due to her influence, this chapter will somehow become a beautiful story with slight comedy.
Still, I hope you can enjoy it.
Also, thanks for reporting typos every time. They just keep popping up…
Chapter 005 – Fufufu, son. It’s time to take a step forward
Rean got acquainted with Beryl, a girl who might be able to see Osbon, and after he finished helping the student council organize activities, Rean reported to Celine, who was relaxing on the bench.
Emma was heading to the literature club and was looking forward to introducing him to books, so Rean decided not to call for her in this.
“So Celine, could you please take a look at this girl named Beryl? It’s fine to only do it if you happen to see her.”
“Do you know that you’re doing what a stalker would do?”
“For me personally, I just want to know if she’s a witch or not.”
[“Fufufu, Miss Celine. There’s no need for a reason for a man to chase after a woman.”]
“I just spoke about the reason.”
Rean poured fresh milk into the small plate he brought for Celine, and while she licked the milk, Rean drank the remaining milk that he didn’t pour in the plate.
Seeing how obsessed she was with fish last time, he thought that she must be particularly interested in food.
“Well, if you say that much, I’ll pay attention if I see her.”
[“Fufufu, this is what you call a tsundere, son.”]
“What are you talking about?!”
[“Even though she said things about stalkers, she still helps despite what she said. This is what people call dere.”]
“I feel like I just learned some unnecessary knowledge…”
“Hiss~” as Rean found out Celine’s attempt to intimidate Osbon made him feel like smiling, clouds appeared in the sky that had been clear until just a moment ago.
Rean sensed signs of rain in the clouds, so he held the small plate in his left hand and placed Celine on his right arm.
Celine was deftly riding on Rean’s arm like a cat would and enjoying the milk from the small plate on Rean’s left hand.
“~♪”
[“Fufufu, son. Cats are adorable like this. It’s no wonder so many people keep them as pets.”]
“I wonder how they are different from dogs?”
[“I think it’s because cats tend to be more free, whimsical and dogs made you feel close as you ran around together? I do want to chat about pets but,”]
When Osbon stopped speaking, an umbrella suddenly appeared between its arms.
Rean, while still holding Celine and the small plate, deftly caught the umbrella.
Soon after, it started to rain as blessings from the sky hit Trista.
“What did it do just now?”
[“Fufufu, I just took out an umbrella, though?”]
“It’s definitely not at that level! And why do you also accept it normally!”
“Dad has been preparing a lot of stuff like this for a while now, though?”
“So you already got trained!” 1
Seeing Celine breathing heavily, Rean brought the milk plate closer to calm her down.
It wasn’t until Celine pointed it out that Rean became curious of this phenomenon.
“How does that work?”
[“Fufufu, an item box is just a standard equipment. I think there are many heroes who have saved the world with the help of the ability of storing items without limit. There were those who tried to save the world while challenging themselves by limiting how many items they would store… although that is yet another use.”]
“I see that you have no intention of answering properly.”
It was normal for Osbon to say something that Rean couldn’t understand, so he just ignored it and put Celine under the eaves.
Although Celine seemed to be mumbling about something, she still drank the milk intently. It was something that Rean had brought on a whim, but he was glad to see that she liked it.
“Don’t tell Emma this, okay?” said Celine as she left. As Rean saw her off and was about to turn on his heel to return to the dormitory, in front of his line of sight, he saw someone wearing a black nun uniform under the eaves.
It seemed the people there were stranded here due to the sudden rain. There was a shopping bag in the nun’s right hand and there was a boy from the town standing next to her, perhaps her acquaintance.
They were probably shopping together, but because it suddenly rained on the way back, they had not prepared an umbrella, so they were stuck.
Rean held out the small empty plate into the rain and lightly washed its contents.
After washing away the remaining milk with a natural washing machine, Rean walked up to the blonde nun girl and held out the umbrella he was carrying.
“Just use this if you don’t mind.”
“Eh……?”
The nun with blond short cut hair shook, with a look of confusion in her blue eyes.
“You are…”
“I have this one, so I’ll be fine. Rather than that, you have a kid with you, right? You have to bring him home soon.”
After Rean said that, the girl’s eyes alternately looked at Rean and the child next to her.
Perhaps the girl appreciated his kindness but felt bad to take it?
Before being a boy living in the Empire, Rean Schwarzer felt it was a shame to leave them alone as a person.
After a moment of silence, Rean once again handed the umbrella to the boy standing next to the nun.
“You’re troubled, right? Make sure to escort this sister and show her how cool you are. Can you do it?”
“Eh, ah… Y-yes!”
“Good answer.”
After making the boy hold the umbrella, Rean left the place before they could say anything to him.
As he held the small plate at right angle, raindrops wouldn’t get into his eyes, and as long as he protected his eyes, he would have no problem securing his sight.
It wasn’t like Rean’s movement would turn bad just because his clothes got wet in the rain, and he wasn’t weak enough to catch a cold, so he thought things would be quicker this way.
[“Fufufu, son. I would like to praise your casual attentiveness, but be careful not to force goodwill on others.”]
“Is that how it seems?”
[“I wonder about that. That girl will be the one who decides that. However, since the boy seems convinced, she surely wouldn’t say anything boorish either.”]
At that moment, Rean realized that the boy had a feeling that he wanted to do something for the nun, and gave him an umbrella to satisfy that feeling.
If the pair was a nun and a girl instead, Rean might have to use the girl as an excuse to persuade the nun. That might make Rean spend more time with the nun to convince her.
[“Also, why don’t you ask me whether I have another umbrella? If you told them you had another umbrella and you would go to the chapel to take the umbrella back at a later date, it wouldn’t be considered forcing goodwill and it’s possible you could have made another acquaintance. Considering the nun’s age, she’d likely someone of your year grade, you know?”]
As it said that, Osbon took out another umbrella and it appeared in Rean’s hand.
“You should have said that earlier,” said Rean as he slowed down and switched to walking pace.
From Rean’s perspective, he had always prepared his own umbrella for rainy days, and even if it suddenly rained, Osbon would take care of it, so Rean thought he had lent the spare umbrella as well.
The reason Rean rushed out the rain after lending his umbrella to the boy was because he didn’t know that Osbon had a third umbrella.
“But unless they’re witches, people won’t be able to see dad after all…”
[“I see, that’s understandable considering the reason you came to the military academy. I’m also personally happy for you to think of me that much. However, that’s also proof that you’re being stubborn. How about Teo, Madam Lucia, Miss Elise, and the people of Ymir? Are you saying you couldn’t be in good terms with them because they couldn’t see me?”]
“There’s no way that’s true!”
[“Fufufu, don’t be so angry. What I meant to say is, don’t use me as an excuse not to make friends. The same could be said toward your classmates in Class VII, but if things stay like this, Rean Schwarzer will end up becoming a very biased person. That’s unacceptable.”] 2
Rean fell silent as Osbon gave him a proper lecture.
Rean would be happy if someone who could see Osbon became his friend.
In fact, he was happy to become friends with Emma and Celine, and there was also Beryl, who could potentially see Osbon.
Rean had a certain desire for people to recognize Osbon, who had helped him so much.
However, Osbon hated the fact that Rean as an individual became obscured because of this.
[“If you still insist on quality over quantity relationships, I don’t mind. However, I would prefer it if you expand the frame of your mindset even more. It doesn’t mean you have to prioritize, and just because people had different tastes, it doesn’t mean you couldn’t become friends with them.”]
In the end, Rean was unable to respond to Osbon’s proper request, which was rare.
To relieve his frustration, Rean ran the Trista Marathon on the rainy day and went fishing to calm down his troubled mind.
But since it still couldn’t completely relieve him, he ended up contacting Emma via ARCUS.
[“Hello, Rean-san? Is something wrong?”]
“Aah… well…”
Although Rean ended up contacting her on impulse, he thought again that Emma would end up troubled if he suddenly asked whether he should actively interact with people other than those who could see Osbon.
However, the call had already connected. Whether he wanted to continue the call or not, Rean had to say something.
“Emma… you’re a witch, right?”
[“Well, yes.”]
“Why did you come all the way to the academy from the witch village, the place where you could be your true self? Is the mission really that important?”
Before he knew it, Rean ended up asking the thing he planned to keep quiet until Emma told him first.
Rean realized what he just did and was about to ask her to forget about it, but before he could, Emma gave her reply.
[“It’s true that mission is part of the reason, but I have a purpose beyond that—— to find my sister who went outside the village, which is my irreplaceable wish.”]
“Your sister?”
[“Yes. She’s someone I liked very much, who, despite being a witch, ended up committing a taboo and ran away. I left the witch village in hopes of finding some kind of clue that would lead me to her.”]
Rean swallowed his breath upon hearing something that was too big to be expressed through ARCUS.
Rean was ashamed of himself that he should have asked in person if it was something that important instead through ARCUS.
“I’m sorry, Emma. I ended up asking such an important matter casually——”
[“No, please don’t worry. A wish won’t come true if one doesn’t speak of them, so it’s fine. That’s why—— Rean-san too, wouldn’t it better if you don’t hide your feelings?”]
Emma also heard why Rean came to the military academy.
That was why she pushed the back of the person she was becoming close to.
“But there aren’t many people who can see my dad…”
[“It might be weird for me to say this, considering how you suddenly found out Celine and I to be witches, but unexpectedly, it makes me feel better. As I thought, keeping things hidden is not good for one’s heart.”]
Emma’s voice sounded somewhat cramped to Rean’s ears.
Perhaps she was smiling wryly at this moment?
“But you won’t tell me about your mission, right?”
[“As for that, well, let’s leave that until we got closer.”]
“What’s that, you still hide it after all this?”
[“Don’t you think it’s more typical of a witch to keep something hidden?”]
Certainly, thought Rean.
Just because they communicated their feelings, it would be arrogant to expect to be told everything.
Even Osbon probably had more things that Rean didn’t know about compared to Emma.
Even so, Rean accepted and trusted Osbon without denying it.
[“Fufufu, son. Being curious about someone’s secrets means you’re interested in that person. The same could be said the other way around. If you’re interested in the other person, it is important to get them to know yourself first. Remember that.”]
Although Rean didn’t get to know what Emma’s mission was in the end, he spent the night enjoying a little chat with Emma to clear his mind.
＊
The next day, after sweating a little during the morning practice, Rean left the dormitory to start the marathon early in the morning, only to find the nun who had been sent by the boy he had given his umbrella to yesterday standing there.
Noticing Rean’s surprise, the nun bowed her head and held out the umbrella in her hands.
“There’s also the gratitude of the boy, thank you very much about yesterday. Thanks to you, neither of us got wet… however, I’m terribly sorry for the inconvenience that Rean-san suffered.”
“No, I just did what I wanted, after all…? How do you know my name?”
“Err, it might be weird for me to say this, but Rean-san’s name was often talked about in different classes and in the chapel.”
“Ah~ you don’t have to elaborate since I figured it out. Besides, I have a spare umbrella, so I only got a little wet yesterday.”
“I see, please take this for now.”
Rean accepted the umbrella and he also thanked the girl.
“Sorry to make you go out your way to deliver it to me. Well then, please excuse…”
“Um.”
Rean tried to cut the conversation off, thinking it would be a nuisance for the girl to be around someone as notorious as he was, but the girl interrupted him.
As Rean tilted his head, the girl put her hand on her chest and stared at him.
“If you don’t mind, would you like to take a little walk together?”
[“Fufufu, that’s a reverse pick up, son.”]
While lightly hitting Osbon, Rean and the nun walked through Trista in the morning.
“I’m sorry for the late introduction, but my name is Rosine and I belong to the Class V of the same grade.”
“I already expected you to be a student the moment you said class, but I never expected you to be of the same grade. Why did you become a nun?”
“It’s out of interest, so I requested the chapel to let me work there.”
“Children seem to love you a lot, so maybe that’s your life calling?”
“No, I’m still not good enough. I’m still training.”
Rosine was humble.
Talking with her made Rean feel at peace, and he could imagine that her kind aura and well-groomed appearance made her extremely popular.
“So, why are you asking me to take a walk with you? Since you’ve heard the rumors about me, there’s no reason for you to make such a strange request…”
The figure of Beryl smiling suspiciously appeared on Rean’s head as he said that, but that one is an exception, thought Rean as he shut his mouth.
“Um, you might be thinking I’m saying something weird, but… Rean-san seems to be a little tired to my eyes, so as gratitude, please feel free if you have something you want to consult about.”
“Did it show on my face? I guess I still lack training.”
Rean scratched his head and wondered what he should do.
Even though she said he could consult with her, Rean wondered if it was okay to say that to Rosine, who Rean didn’t think would be able to see Osbon.
Dad, what do you think?
Rean secretly asked, but there was no response from Osbon.
It wasn’t that it went silent because there were people around. Regardless of whether someone was there, Osbon wouldn’t care and always talked to Rean unless it was something extremely important.
In that case, it meant Osbon went silent on purpose.
Rean, who had been subjected to the same treatment once when he was worrying about Elise’s birthday present, interpreted this as something that he had to decide on his own.
“You’re really kind, Rosine. Just because I seem to be having a difficult time, you actually want to help me, who is infamous from the rumors.”
“To be honest, I wasn’t thinking of actively approaching you either. However, after seeing Rean-san’s behavior yesterday, I learned that not all the rumors were true—— if I am to be blunt, I was impressed by Rean-san’s actions yesterday.”
“……………It’s just something normal, right?”
“Actually doing something normally that people consider as normal is quite difficult, you know?”
[“——If you’re interested in the other person, it is important get them to know yourself first.”]
Rean suddenly recalled Osbon’s words…
“Rosine, can you see a doll of a stern-faced middle-aged man hugging my left arm?”
“………………………”
Rosine was dumbfounded.
After saying his piece, Rean realized his careless remark and he felt choked as he tried to say something to explain.
However, Rean couldn’t find the correct words, and seeing Rean panicked, Rosine said with a smile.
“No, unfortunately, I can’t see it. However, what are you talking about?”
“……………………Eh?”
[“Fufufu, please try to see it again, Miss Rosine. He might be an incompetent son, but please laugh at him.”]
“Why is it a laugh?”
Rean couldn’t help but grumble as usual.
Oops, thought Rean as he looked at Rosine, but there was no malice on her smile.
Rather, it was like a mother watching over a mischievous child.
Faced with that smile, Rean honestly conveyed Osbon’s words that Rean was surprised himself.
“It says to try and see it again.”
“Then let me try to see it again.”
Rosine leaned her face into Rean’s left arm and bowed slightly, but unfortunately, her eyes weren’t looking at Osbon’s face, but at its body.
Rean’s eyes widened seeing Rosine who clearly didn’t see yet behaved as if there really was something there.
After relaying a few words, Rosine turned to Rean again.
“Is something wrong?”
“Something, you say… Well, of course there is. You can’t see anything other than the sleeve of my clothes on my left arm, right?”
“Oh, was it wrong?”
“It’s… not wrong, but.”
Seeing Rean was mumbling and confused, Rosine put her hand on her mouth and said with a gentle smile.
“If something was true to a person, then it must be a fact.”
Rean was shocked at those words, even though he didn’t understand why.
[“Fufufu, it seems Miss Rosine has quite a difficult personality.”]
D-difficult?
[“She is trying to understand things that are beyond her understanding, and her behavior can’t be explained just by her trusting and gentle personality… or perhaps she simply had already encountered something that makes my existence trivial to her.”]
When Rean asked with a voice that Rosine couldn’t hear, Osbon replied obediently this time.
And what could that be?
[“Fufufu, it’s something like that of Miss Emma and Miss Beryl, a thing that got revealed once you got to know them better… well then, son. How will you respond to her?”]
Rean spoke out his heart.
He abandoned the confusing logic and just spoke the words he wanted Rosine to listen to.
“……It’s something that stuck on me for a long time and I call it dad, but its name ——”
“Is Osbon,” said Rean.
“That’s a peculiar name,” said Rosine, which Rean laughed and responded with “just say honestly that it’s weird.”
After that, until Rosine arrived at the chapel, the chat between the two was only heard by Osbon and the morning sunlight filtering through the trees.
Author Note:
Rosine was the person related to Rose of the Red Moon in-game novel. There was a period of time I thought like that.
It was mentioned in the radio drama of Cold Steel III, but that was more of a fan-service aspect.
I think most people chose Rosine-san when they got that quest for the first time, then they reloaded the save to try everyone’s version one by one.
Everyone did it like that, and so did I.
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