CH 123.2

Translator: “Hakou”                             Editor: “Weasalopes”

The night soon becomes midnight and before long, along with the sunrise, morning will come.

The next morning, a caterpillar was eating in the rooftop garden at Tauro’s home.

「You sure eat a lot aren’t you」

I said as I saw the figure of Imosuke wholeheartedly eating the leaves on one of the medicinal tree’s branches.

There seems to be something on his mind, and he has been like this since the previous morning.

「Do you intend to strip the entire branch of its leaves today?」

His appetite was so big it made me think so.

He continued to eat without rest, unlike before.

「Well, the medicinal tree has lots of leaves so it should be fine to eat as much as you want, though」

That’s right. No matter how much leaves Imosuke eats, it will recover again before anyone knows it.

Truly enviable.

Now then, since I have nothing to do, I think I’ll just read a book until noon.

When I reported back to the merchant guild, they gave me a vacation. There seems to be no work for me until the battle in the west is settled.

I grabbed the book with the title “Living Legend, The White Lion of the Kingdom” on the cover and flipped through it. I borrowed this book from a nearby bookstore.

The former knight commander is known on the streets as “The White Lion of the Kingdom” and is often called the strongest in history.

I can’t come to like the fact that he’s the embodiment of a true pilot but, since I’m a pilot myself I was interested in the battles itself.

「Just how many battle achievements you need to be called a legend I wonder」

Feeling excited, I flipped through the book.

However, that excitement of mine quickly went down the drain.

「What the heck is this?」

I unintentionally let out such a voice.

A living legend as the strongest pilot in history. It should have told the life story of such a person, but there’s almost no battle scene.

The battle scene written here was only, he had defeated a famous Knight from the Empire in a simulated battle.

「Is there nothing like the records of his great achievement riding his exclusive Knight?」

His exclusive Knight was just as popular as the former knight commander himself.

I’ve seen it myself at the ceremony, it was a Knight with white base color and golden ornament on it.

It was certainly beautiful.

I was expecting a scene where it would run around in the battlefield, beating the crap of its enemies.

「There’s only lectures and penitent scenes in here」

The majestic true pilot causes his enemy prostrated before him and retreated, or be ashamed of themselves and commit suicide, such stories continued on and on.

If what was written in this book is the entire record of the former knight commander, the only time he fought a proper battle was when there’s a conflict at the border when he was young.

On top of that, there was this… dramatic princess-pilot encounter and a sad parting story. I couldn’t help but feel the authenticity of the story dropped.

It was also more or less the same for his exclusive Knight.

「It hid its true ability, and only a few people know it even inside the knight order」

I read the description out loud.

By the way, there was no record of it participating in any battle, and of course, there was also no record of its performance in one.

In short, there’s zero achievement.

「I’m impressed that everyone believes this bullshit」

No matter how you think about it, it was too unbelievable.

But then, it came to me.

「Is it possible that they are forcefully trying to make a hero?」

You could make something like a hero as long as you have someone with a certain level of ability and character, or appearance.

This was actually a standard practice in world-class sports competitions.

「It’s not like I actually despise them or anything though」

Even if they’re a fake created by the media, heroes do gather a lot of attention from their surroundings. And then they will become the center of attention and rumors, making the events even bigger.

Business would go well and the audience would be excited.

It’s nothing but good things. No one will be happy at a tournament without heroes in it.

「I understand that but….」

My perverse personality wouldn’t allow me to accept it as is.

I closed the book after feeling the limit of my passion to read it.

「Hm?」

It was at that time, Imosuke called me from the garden.

I put the book on the table and went out into the garden.

When I reached the medicinal tree, I looked for the branches where Imosuke might be.

「Ah, there he is」

He crawled along the branches.

When he found me, he lifted the front part of his body and tilted his neck.

The so-called “meditation pose”. It was a posture that showed he is thinking, which became the basis of the name “Forest sage”.

「…Something came out」

Something small fell from Imosuke’s butt.

For a moment, the sunlight in the middle of the day shone on it.

It was probably the seed of a plant.

「You came too huh」

Before I knew it, Dangorou was already right at my feet, this guy might’ve been called here too.

After seeing the seed fall to the ground, Dangorou quickly dug a hole nearby.

He then pushed the seed into it and covered it with soil.

「Hm? Ah… right, the potion」

On the branch, Imosuke became all excited while looking at me.

Apparently, he tried to say that I should put a potion on the seed.

「Is it alright with only the D-rank ones as not to emit light?」

I activated my magic and created a D-rank cure disease potion.

Then I opened the lid and poured the dark blue liquid.

「I’ll make one if you need the higher rank ones though」

Aside from the dazzling light of the S rank or A rank ones, there will be no problem if it is the B rank or C rank ones.

If they’re concerned with the lights I could just grab a bag from my room and use it to wrap the seed after all.

While thinking about such a thing, Imosuke and Dangorou were still looking at the ground.

It seems that they are thinking whether they need additional potions.

「One more, is it? Is D-rank potion okay?」

It seems that’s enough to do the job.

This time, I created a cure status abnormality potion, and poured the green liquid in the same manner.

Everyone was looking at the ground for a while, but there was no change.

「Now we just need to wait for the result」

That’s what Imosuke said.

Honestly, I was expecting a scene where it would grow rapidly in front of me.

「Well then, I’m going to grab some lunch and play for a bit. I’ll be back as soon as I can」

It was almost noon, so I decided to go out.

I’ve gone on a long business trip so, of course, I want to spend more time together with them, but I was also a man. I still want to go out and play even for a little bit.

My spirit beasts who understood that were willing to send me out.

Then I went to the red-light district with a light step and a book in hand.

I was planning to return the book on my way. An old man with an unfriendly face surfaced in my mind.

(It’s the same as usual huh)

The battle with the Empire at the western border has begun, but the people who come and go within the city have no dark atmosphere and look the same as usual.

But as expected, it was different within the castle.

It usually has a quiet atmosphere, but recently there have been a lot of people coming and going there.

Especially today, many of the guards look agitated. I don’t even want to go near them even by mistake.

(Looks like it’s finally getting serious)

Last night, a Knight seemed to make a sortie and shook the entire Royal capital.

I haven’t seen it with my own eyes, but from that sound and shaking, there’s no mistaking it. When I was fast asleep, I was surprised and abruptly woke up, thinking if there’s an earthquake or something.

Usually, the Knight’s actions inside the Royal capital are strictly supervised so as not to disturb the people. There’s a rule to move quietly until you leave the Royal capital to some distance away.

And that thing marched off in the middle of the night with an output large enough to shake the ground. It was an unimaginable event in normal times.

It would only be natural to think that something had happened.

(Please be safe out there, Corneal-san)

Around this time, that perverted macho should be riding his B-class Knight on the west of Land barn.

I walked along the familiar streets, hoping that my best friend would be safe and that the world wouldn’t fall into darkness.