𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐟𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧
“I, I’m coming in!”
“O, Okay.”
ㅤ
Stella enters the room, visibly nervous.
Without hesitation, she takes a seat at the desk and begins pouring the liquor she brought into two glasses.
ㅤ
“For now, I’ll have a drink! You should drink too!”
“You, you know I’m not good with alcohol, right. . . . . .I mean, why did you bring that stuff?”
“Ernesta-san gave it to me.”
I don’t really get it, but apparently, my success rate goes up a bit when I’m a bit tipsy.”
ㅤ
What success rate is she talking about?!
I wish I could say that, but unfortunately, I can already guess.
Auntie Elle, when it comes to alcohol, there’s only one thing that comes to mind.
It’s the banquet at the dwarf village.
True, Stella was extraordinarily powerful and destructive then.
If we hadn’t blacked out, that’s how it would have ended.
Damn you, Auntie Elle!
Sending such a destructive weapon!
ㅤ
“Mm, ah!”
ㅤ
While I was lost in thought, Stella had already finished her first glass.
Down in one go.
This is going to hit her fast.
This is going to be a tough battle.
ㅤ
“Come on! Your turn!”
“. . . . . .Alright.”
ㅤ
Even knowing it puts me at a disadvantage, there’s no refusing this drink given the atmosphere.
I take my seat and take small sips as a form of resistance.
Wow, this is strong.
ㅤ
“. . . . . .So, do you remember? I was saying that my win rate surpassed yours.”
“It’s hard to accept, but yeah, I remember. Are you here to rub it in?”
“No! Listen to what I have to say to the end!”
ㅤ
“Geez!” Stella continues, irritated.
ㅤ
“I realized it when you crashed the departure ceremony. When you beat Ruberto-san and stood beside me.
I thought, ‘Wow, Allan is amazing. I can’t compete.’”
ㅤ
As if reminiscing, Stella narrows her eyes and looks into the distance, her expression tinged with sadness.
ㅤ
“I didn’t have the confidence to say that I could stand equal to you without relying on my Hero’s Divine Protection.”
“That’s not tru—”
“Stop! I don’t need comforting. I’m not pessimistic. Let me talk.”
“. . . . . .Understood.”
ㅤ
I didn’t mean to console you, but simply to state the facts.
Even without Hero’s Divine Protection, you’re quite impressive.
You can confront formidable enemies, even if you might not win, to protect someone.
Even when it’s tough and frightening, you can walk forward, facing the future.
I probably couldn’t have done it if I hadn’t gotten used to the time when revenge consumed me and fear paralyzed me.
You’re not inferior to me just because I’m doing something you can’t.
“So, I also thought like this at the same time: I don’t need an unjust gap opened by Hero’s Divine Protection.
I’ll definitely catch up someday, with the win-loss record still in the negative, and with that incredible strength of heart.
I’ll stand by your side in the truest sense. And. . . . . .”
“H, Hey?!”
ㅤ
Suddenly, Stella stands up, blows me and my chair away, and pushes me down on the bed.
Whether it’s the alcohol or something else, her flushed cheeks and fiery eyes are strangely seductive.
My heart pounds as if it’s about to burst.
ㅤ
“Now is the time to express my true feelings.
I’ve caught up in terms of winning odds.
I may still lack confidence in my inner strength, but I’m confident that I’ve fought alongside you and have been able to stand by your side.
So, I’ll say it.”
ㅤ
This is bad!
If I hear what comes next, I, I. . . . . .!
ㅤ
“━━I love you, Allan. I’ve liked you since we were kids. After reuniting, I’ve come to like you even more.
The comfort of being with you, the kindness you’ve always shown when it mattered, the cool way you’ve vowed to protect me, and even that annoying face you make when you’re being insufferable—all of it, I absolutely love.”
“Ugh?!”
ㅤ
That confession, full of genuine emotion, full of love—I had no doubt she meant it.
It was so overwhelmingly powerful, so exceedingly happy, that Stella who had said it was unbearably cute.
My heart felt like it would stop, my mind became overheated to the point where I couldn’t think, even thinking about responding became impossible.
ㅤ
“Allan. . . . . .”
“Stella. . . . . .”
ㅤ
Stella’s face gets closer.
The face I’ve known since childhood, now matured with the beauty of a woman, her beautiful lips drawing near.
The distance closes to where we could feel each other’s breath, my mind blanks out from the sheer happiness, a lovely scent coming from Stella further numbs my thoughts, mingled with the smell of the alcohol we drank earlier. . . . . .
ㅤ
“Hmph!!”
“Ouch?!”
“Argh. . . . . .!”
ㅤ
Thanks to the smell of alcohol, I snap back to reality just a bit. Just like that time I dreamt of the previous world (or was it when I merged with my past self?), I gave Stella a headbutt, received major damage due to her hard skull in return, and we both writhe in agony on the bed.
But this pain has completely snapped me back to my senses!
ㅤ
“What are you doing?!”
“That’s my line! You’re giving me an insane temptation before the final battle! Are you trying to get pregnant and leave the front lines?!”
“Pr, preg. . . . . .?!”
ㅤ
Stella’s face turns completely red again.
That was close.
Really close.
Not just on the verge of falling for it.
I had completely fallen for it.
The only thing that saved me was the power of alcohol.
Alcohol might have also given Stella the push, but it seems it’s not just you who benefited from its effects!
ㅤ
“Never mind that! How could you respond like that to a girl who mustered the courage to confess?!”
“Shut up! Now that I think about it calmly, what even was that confession!
You’re confessing because you’ve surpassed my win rate? The recent victories are results of everyone’s efforts, not just yours!
Don’t compromise on such an important matter!”
“But. . . . . .Ernesta-san told me not to have regrets before the final battle. . . . . .”
“That’s it, that’s the problem!”
ㅤ
Still revved up from the alcohol, I pointed my finger sharply at Stella.
ㅤ
“Have no regrets? Are you stupid? Leave as many as you like! That will make you more determined to survive!”
ㅤ
Yes.
I want Stella to live, not die without regrets.
I want her to survive at any cost.
Call it my ego, but this is one thing I can’t budge on.
ㅤ
“Listen! If you’re going into battle thinking you’ve settled everything and have no regrets, you’ll never beat the Demon King!
Even if you trade your life, you won’t win!
You are undoubtedly weaker than your past self from the previous world!”
“What?!”
ㅤ
I’m not saying the current Stella is weak.
However, I can’t say she’s stronger than the Stella from the previous world, who kept moving forward even while losing comrades in a hellish situation.
ㅤ
“The Demon King is someone even the stronger version of you from the previous world couldn’t defeat, even at the cost of your life!
So live with your regrets, cling to life, and focus solely on winning alongside us!
Prepare not for death, but for life!
That’s what it means to challenge the Demon King!”
ㅤ
After saying all that in one breath, I caught my breath and, in a moment of weakness fueled by alcohol, let my guard down and voiced my concerns. I couldn’t help it.
ㅤ
“Please, Stella. . . . . .Don’t think about what happens when you die. . . . . .
If you have to die, do it peacefully in your bed, thinking that you’ve lived a full and happy life. . . . . .Please. . . . . .”
“Allan. . . . . .”
ㅤ
Ah, damn it.
The alcohol is getting to my head too.
I can’t hold back my emotions.
The fear and weakness that I had bottled up deep inside are surfacing uncontrollably.
ㅤ
Stella gently hugs me in that moment.
It’s not a seductive embrace like before.
It’s a comforting hug, like one would give to a crying child.
Being held like that is incredibly soothing.
ㅤ
“I’m sorry. Seems like I triggered some of your trauma.”
“. . . . . .It’s fine. It’s not your fault. I triggered it myself while talking.”
“Haha. What’s that supposed to mean?”
ㅤ
Stella laughs.
Her face is adorable, beautiful, and makes me want to protect her no matter what.
ㅤ
“Feeling better?”
“Yeah.”
“Good.”
ㅤ
After a while, Stella releases her arms from around me and sits on the bed as if it’s a chair.
Uncharacteristically, she doesn’t make fun of my vulnerability.
I sat down next to her, chiding my own heart for wanting her to keep holding me.
ㅤ
Then, Stella brings up a new topic.
ㅤ
“So, Allan. What kind of person was the Demon King?”
“. . . . . .I told you, the Demon King in my memory was weakened. Any information won’t be. . . . . .”
“That’s not what I’m asking. I want to know what kind of person the Demon King was to you.
You’ve been so vocal about it, he must’ve been quite something.”
ㅤ
. . . . . .What kind of person was the Demon King, huh?
That’s right.
Well, if I had to summarize it in one word,
ㅤ
“He was strong.”
ㅤ
That’s the only way to put it.
Back then, my vision was clouded by hatred, but even so, the strength of the Demon King left a deep impression on me.
ㅤ
“The Demon King’s combat power itself wasn’t that great when he was weakened.
He was strong, but in terms of physical abilities, Dragburn probably surpasses him.
Of course, he had magic and was stronger than the Four Heavenly Kings. . . . . .but that’s not the point. The real strength of the Demon King lies elsewhere.”
ㅤ
The strength of the Demon King that I felt at that time.
The terrifying nature of the Demon King that sends shivers down my spine whenever I remember it.
That is. . . . . .
ㅤ
“Fighting spirit.”
“Fighting spirit?”
“Exactly. His fighting spirit was different from other demons.
It was as if he was saying, ‘I will definitely survive. I will live and win,’ without even needing to express it in words.
It wasn’t just the result of a survival instinct or fear, like the other demons.
It wasn’t on that weak level.
The Demon King was fighting desperately to live, for some other reason altogether.”
ㅤ
I don’t know what he was thinking while he fought.
I might be able to ask him personally during the decisive battle that’s about to start, but I have no intention of chit-chatting while I go to kill him.
I’ll probably never know what he truly felt.
ㅤ
But now that I think about it. . . . . .I feel like I’ve seen that intensity somewhere before.
I get the feeling that I’ve sensed the same kind of intensity from someone other than the Demon King.
I can’t remember who it was.
I think it was someone very close to me, though. . . . . .
ㅤ
“Hmm, I see. So that’s what the Demon King is like.
If that’s the case, indeed, I might not be able to win if I’m considering living without regrets.”
ㅤ
My train of thought, which had been trying to recall who that someone was, was interrupted by Stella’s words.
ㅤ
“Could it be that what decides victory or defeat is the difference in our obsession to live?
To live with regrets, to cling to life, to only think about winning. . . . . .Alright, I’ve decided!”
ㅤ
Just when I thought Stella would naturally say it out loud, she effortlessly placed both her hands on my cheeks, who was sitting next to her, fixed my face towards her, and stole a kiss.
ㅤ
“!!?!??”
ㅤ
My emotions were already fluctuating because of the alcohol, and on top of that, a completely unexpected sneak attack!
All I could do was widen my eyes in shock.
What the?!
She just slipped her tongue in!
My mouth is being. . . . . .invaded. . . . . .?!
ㅤ
“Phew!”
“Ha. . . . . .! Ha. . . . . .! You! Youuuu!”
ㅤ
Not even knowing how to breathe, and gasping for air, I screamed with a heart that was a chaotic mix of anger and happiness, driven by the sudden violent actions of Stella.
However, Stella showed no remorse.
Her face turned bright red, yet she stood up and looked down on me with a triumphant smile.
ㅤ
“Heh! You might be motivated by lingering regrets, but for me, the desire to feel happiness again drives me to do my best!
Promise me that after we defeat the Demon King, you’ll kiss me and finally give me the answer I’ve been waiting for today!”
ㅤ
Having unilaterally made that promise, Stella dashed out of the room as if making a quick escape were her forte.
Meanwhile, I’m still unable to get up from the bed, my heart a storm of emotions that shows no signs of settling.
The sound of my heartbeat is deafening.
It’s a pounding far louder than anything I’ve experienced, even after the exhaustion of life-or-death battles.
ㅤ
The sensation lingers on my lips and inside my mouth.
Who taught you this? No, there’s only one person who comes to mind as the culprit. Regardless, the taste of an awkward yet genuine adult kiss is unforgettable.
There’s no way I could forget.
This is the first kiss with the woman I like, from a man who has been a virgin for decades if you include the previous world.
It’s seared into my mind; there’s no doubt that I’ll be writhing in agony tonight!
ㅤ
“T, That girl. . . . . .!”
ㅤ
After the kiss on the cheek in Elf Village, she goes and drops an unbelievable bombshell!
ㅤ
“I’ll definitely get my revenge. . . . . .!”
ㅤ
I can’t afford to die now either.
I’ll definitely survive and, just as she arbitrarily promised, I’ll enact grand revenge.
Prepare yourself, Stella!
ㅤ
I made a firm vow for revenge against that girl and as the night passed, I writhed in bed.
ㅤ
ㅤ
ㅤ
ㅤ
ㅤ
◆◆◆
ㅤ
ㅤ
ㅤ
ㅤ
ㅤ
And then, the next day.
Finally, the preparations on the side of humanity were completed, and the entire army began its march in unison towards the final battleground, the Demon King’s Castle.
Translator’s Blog
Blog
- Cursed Hands: When Anime Fandom Goes Too Far
- Yo, Millennials: This TikTok Dictionary Translates Gen Z So You Don’t Sound Like a Boomer
- Did Uncle Steve RAID Your Snack Again?
- Lost in Translation: When Your Brain Goes on a Tangent While Reading Light Novels
- Is Ramen Overrated Because of Naruto? A Ramen-Loving Anime Fan’s Take
Leave a Reply