And another chapter.

The Preceding Hero and the Sixth

「Hahaha. I’m sure that you’ve already noticed this, Yuu, but the Heleott house and the Shunev house which is my parents’ home have been associated with each other for several generations now. I have been associated with Kuon-kun since childhood. That’s why, three years ago, after the fight had ended, and around the time I came to show my face here in Be Io, I sung him your heroic tales. Once was about how you repelled evil, and another time was when you subjugated those that possessed wicked thoughts as a great, peerless man. Man, he was unexpectedly very pleased with them. He was annoying as he went “let me meet him” and “introduce me to him”. ……Well, isn’t it fine, having a disciple or two. It’s not like you have anything to lose, right?」

This was the excuse when I cross-examined Jean. At this point, it’s not even an excuse.

「Rather, what is up with that great, peerless man part?」

「As you’d expect, I couldn’t possibly sing about you as the 『Hero』. I’d get killed by Her Majesty Sylvia.」

Just get killed already.

Now then, as for Kuon-kun (it’s a bit embarrassing but since he didn’t have any bad intentions, I’ll change the way I call him) who seemed to admire the me of the heroic tales. Not intending to do a serious battle from the start, it seems that he just wanted to know if what Jean had said was true.

He said that while he fixed his slightly disarrange dougi.

「Rather, something like a disciple is impossible for me. I’m on a journey, you know?」

「You’re heading to Galarie, right? In that case, there’s no problem. After all, Kuon-kun has to go there as the district competition victor!」

After swept Jean’s legs, who was pleasantly laughing with a *Ha ha ha!*, and throwing him onto the floor, I looked in Kuon-kun’s direction.

「Yashiro-aniki!」

I’m honestly happy about how he turned a look of reverence at me, however, who the heck is he calling Aniki.

「Ah~……Sorry, but let’s postpone the whole disciple matter for now.」

「It’s Aniki’s request, so I don’t mind. You want to meet with Oyaji, right?」

My, how honorable. I was thinking that he would say that he wouldn’t let us see him if I didn’t make him my disciple.

「I’ve heard most of the reason why Aniki wanted to meet Oyaji from Jean. It’s not unreasonable that Aniki would be in a hurry!」

Saying that, Kuon was going to take the lead and guide us. ……Erm, he’s considerably different from my initial image of him.

To think that he was such a nice and obedient guy.

「For better or worse, Kuon-kun has a child-like part to him. He’d do things with pleasure if it were to assist the hero that he admired, I suppose that is how it could be described.」

「That’s probably just because of you exaggerating again, isn’t it?」

「Umu. Because of that, he became very excited and requested this of me saying “I want to fight him by all means”. Sorry.」

Making us appear in the Magic Clad Martial Arts Demonstration even though it would have been fine just to make us fight normally, I understand very well that this guy uncooperative.

「It couldn’t be helped, right? It’s because while I am instrumentalist, I’m also a director.」

Jean puffed out his chest as if to say that it was natural. This guy’s “My Pace” style is enough to match with Olivia’s and Gilley-Ossan’s older sister’s style.

「As if you couldn’t help it. ……Bernadette?」

When I let out a sigh from Jean’s remarks, I suddenly realized that Bernadette wasn’t coming along with us.

「…………」

Bernadette was standing still with her eyes cast downward. Did something happen?

「O~i, Bernadette-sa~n.」

「……」

「You’ve got some nerve to be ignoring me, you stupid Sister.」

「……」

「……Now! Certain Kill: π Touch!」[1]

*Munyu*,

「Hyaah!? Wh, what are you doing!?」

「Oh, so you noti-obuah!?」

As my vision was rotating and my cheek had pain running through it at the same time, in the next moment, I was tumbling on the ground.

It would seem that I received a slap in the face.

「What are you doing, you jerk!?」

「No no, that’s my line, isn’t it!?」

Bernadette hid her chest with both hands and her face was red. Fumu, it’s the usual response. It would seem that she regained consciousness.

「So? What’s wrong? Suddenly getting dispirited like that.」

「Th, that’s……Um…」

When I asked that as I stood back up, Bernadette hesitated to talk. What’s this? Was she think about something that she couldn’t talk about or something?

「Well, it’s fine. Come on, let’s go. We’re finally going to meet Vodan-san.」

「……」

Even as I urged her, Bernadette only turned her eyes away from me.

「Yuu. She has her own way of thinking. Let’s leave her alone for a while.」

Jean said that to me, who was starting to get irritated from being avoided, in a small voice. ……Did Jean understand something?

「Got it. ……If you’re not feeling well, head back to the inn, okay?」

「……Yes.」

Bernadette nodded, then once again cast her eyes downward.

◇

Parting with Bernadette, we arrived at Vodan-shi’s study with Kuon’s guidance.

When we sat down on a high class-looking black leather sofa, the study’s doors opened, and after several men wearing suits came in, wearing a long sleeved haori on top of a kimono, a male in the prime of his life that had a face with a large scar on it came in. His pointed tip wolf ears told me that he was of the Wolf Tribe.

So, this person is Vodan-shi. Together with his face’s scar, it’s turned into a fairly scary face.

「I am the Heleott Group’s Sixth Boss, 『Vodan Heleott』. You are the one that came entrusted with a congratulatory gift from His Excellency……」

「Y, yes! I’m called Yuu Yashiro!」

Together with his cool voice, Vodan-shi’s eyes turned towards me. I stood up from the sofa due to the intensity that surpassed that of Gilley-Ossan’s.

When I timidly handed over the box with the bell inside from the bag at my waist, Vodan-shi opened the box, and smiled.

「Well now, I really am thankful for His Excellency’s consideration. ……Look Kuon, it’s your bell.」

As I was being timid and scared, Vodan-shi’s voice changed all of a sudden. It did a class change from a low voice that sounded threatening to a coaxing voice.

And then, the sternness of his expression was blown away and it became a whole faced smile.

「Wh, who the heck would want to put on a bell!」

「But still, you’re already 16 after all……」

「Something like that, I didn’t have one on because it’s embarrassing!!」

The fox ears standing on end, red faced, refusing Kuon and the panicking while drooping his ears from his son losing his temper, Vodan-shi.

……What is all of this?

「Vodan-shi’s wife had died very early and he raised Kuon-kun as a single father. Maybe because of that or maybe because he was originally like that, he’s greatly affectionate with Kuon-kun who is really similar to his wife.」

「I see, so it’s like that. I couldn’t understand what I was looking at for a moment.」

Jean informed me with a low voice as I was dumbfounded. And with that, I finally understood that Vodan-shi was doting parent kind of person. That’s just how big the shock I received was.

「More importantly! Right now, we’re talking about Yashiro-aniki.」

When Kuon, who was obstinately refusing the bell for some reason, tried to change the subject, my name came up.

「Yashiro-aniki, who should have no connection with the kidnapping that had become a problem even in our town as of late, is trying to find a solution to it! If we were to show ourselves with our fingers in our mouths here, it would be a disgrace for the Heleott group, wouldn’t it? Oyaji, let’s lend a hand to Aniki!!」

Kuon had talked about it with a light excitement, but Vodan-shi only lowered the pipe he held in his mouth and moaned.

A few seconds had passed, and just as Kuon was about to open his mouth again, Vodan-shi turned his eyes towards me, and slowly opened his mouth.

「Yashiro, was it? ……Sorry but I can’t possibly mobilize the group for this matter. ……There is a reason why I can’t.」

Within that sharp glint in his eyes, it was small but I saw a feeling of guilt.

Translator’s Notes:

[1] For those that didn’t get it, Oppai means boobs and he shortened it to “pai” and then changed it to π. Kept it at this instead of trying to figure out a way to shorten boob.