WeTried Translations

Translator/Editor: nemui

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◈ The Forgotten Curse Knight ◈

Vol. 1 Ch. 17: The Child Who Is Nowhere, the Child I Do Not Know

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Theo left the upscale inn with the fluffball hidden inside his clothes and headed for the Lawrence home.

Since the fluffball was also part of Theo's curse, Elbert apparently thought it would be best not to separate it from Theo.

In twenty hours, the Holy Knight Order would arrive in town. Since the appearance of a large Termea made it highly likely that smaller Termea would gather, the town would need to remain on alert for some time.

Once Elbert had finished handing matters over to the Holy Knight Order, he would return to Erington, taking Theo, who would be joining the Gray Knights, with him.

They would depart in twenty-four hours. Until then, Elbert had told him, he could do as he pleased.

Normally, Theo should have been confined to the inn to keep him from running away. This was an exceptionally generous indulgence.

Theo lifted the face he had unconsciously lowered and walked through the familiar town.

The familiar streets, the familiar people. Theo could never blend into this scenery. He could never become part of the familiar view.

Because Theo, a Mad Walker, was an anomaly people could not remember.

（...That's right.）

A thought suddenly occurred to Theo, and before going to the residential district, he stopped by a shop that sold accessories.

Fortunately, he still had his allowance in his pocket. With this amount, a single handkerchief was the most he could afford.

Theo chose one embroidered with bluish-purple flowers and called out to the elderly woman minding the shop.

"I'll take this, please."

The old woman, who had a cat sitting on her lap, slowly lifted her glasses and looked at Theo.

"I don't recognize you. Are you a traveler?"

"...No."

Theo had spoken with this old woman several times before.

Her husband had started keeping the cat. Her husband had passed away before her. She had hated the cat, but eventually made peace with it. Theo had heard all those stories from her.

He placed his allowance on the counter.

"I'm going a little far away, so... I thought I'd buy my mother a present."

"I hope she'll be happy with it."

"Yes."

The new handkerchief was wrapped in pretty paper, and Theo headed for the residential district once more.

Olivia had been stabbed by a Blood Tail, but as a bearer of 〈Regeneration〉's blessing, she recovered quickly. It seemed her wound had already healed. Allen had not suffered any serious injuries either.

Holding the wrapped handkerchief to his chest, Theo thought.

Theo was a Mad Walker, and from now on he would fight Termea as a Gray Knight. Olivia and Allen would surely be sad when they heard that.

So he would give this handkerchief to his mother and tell her this.

"I couldn't become a Holy Knight, but I can become a Gray Knight. I'm going to be a knight. I'll defeat Termea and overcome the curse that befell me. So don't worry, you two."

He would try to look as cheerful and proud as possible.

Then, once Theo had defeated the Termea that planted the curse within him and been freed from that curse, he would ask for permission to take the Lawrence name.

（That will be when I say it...）

To Olivia, he would say, "Please make me your son."

To Allen, he would say, "Let's become real brothers."

Hiding his unease, Theo opened the front door with a confident manner.

"I'm home."

In the cramped home of the Lawrence family, Olivia was at the table, peeling carrots. Though she had only been attacked by a Termea yesterday, she was already up and working.

Even if her wounds had healed through 〈Regeneration〉's blessing, Theo wished she would at least rest today. Before he could say so, Olivia widened her eyes and spoke.

"Oh my, who might you be?"

It was as if time had stopped.

Reality was so cruel that he wished time would remain frozen forever.

Theo moved his frozen tongue and forced out his voice.

"I'm... Theo."

Even people who were beginning to forget Theo would respond with, "Oh, there was someone like that, wasn't there?" when he gave his name.

Praying that even such a response would be enough, Theo looked at Olivia. She smiled at him with a slightly troubled expression.

"So your name is Theo. Are you Allen's friend?"

The fingers holding the wrapped handkerchief suddenly went cold. All the blood drained from his body into his feet, and his vision flickered.

What sort of expression was he making right now?

（Smile.）

Theo forced down the pain bleeding through his heart and ordered himself.

（Smile properly.）

He raised the corners of his mouth and spoke in a strained voice.

"I had an appointment with Allen, but he wasn't coming, so I came to see if everything was all right."

"Oh, I see. Allen, honestly... That boy is out right now."

"Um!"

Hiding the trembling of his fingertips, Theo held out the newly bought handkerchief to Olivia.

"Please accept this. You may not remember me, Ms. Olivia, but you took very... very good care of me."

You gave me a name.

For five years, you raised me with love, just as you did your own son.

You praised me when I helped, scolded me when I made mistakes, nursed me when I caught a cold, and held me when I was sad.

Mother Olivia, Theo whispered in his heart, and smiled.

He was probably making a face that looked ready to cry. He was not smiling very well.

Even so, he had to smile.

"I've wanted to tell you... thank you, for so long."

Olivia looked puzzled. Naturally. If a child she did not know came into her home and suddenly did this, she was bound to find it suspicious.

Even so, she smiled gently, as if trying to reassure a child who looked ready to cry.

Then she accepted the handkerchief from Theo, whose face was desperate.

"Thank you, Theo."

Theo etched that smile into his memory.

He would never forget it. Never.

His vision blurred. No, don't cry. Theo raised an arm and covered his eyes.

"No, thank you for accepting it. I'm sorry for intruding so suddenly."

Theo spun around so she would not see his face any longer and rushed out of the house.

＊＊＊

Outside the Lawrence home, Theo spotted a familiar black-haired brother and sister. Marina and Pino.

Marina timidly called out to Theo as he rushed from the Lawrence home.

"Um, are you a guest of the Lawrences? How are Allen and Olivia doing?"

"Olivia was attacked by a Termea, right? Is she still bedridden? Would it bother them if we visited?"

They were kind siblings. Both of them were sincerely worried about Allen and Olivia.

Marina often gave Theo homemade sweets. She liked Allen, but she always made sure to prepare some for Theo too.

Pino was cheeky, but he was a good kid who cared about his sister. When Marina was feeling down, he sometimes came to Theo for advice.

They sometimes overlooked Theo's presence, but they still recognized him, and they had been his friends.

There was no longer any Theo in their minds.

Theo covered his eyes with one hand, buried his emotions, and answered.

"Olivia is already up. Allen seems to be out."

With only that said, he ran away as if fleeing. He ran through the town that only Theo remembered, the town that had forgotten Theo.

After leaving town, Theo stopped by the office near the coal mine and collected the personal belongings he had left there.

Mining work had stopped because of yesterday's Termea incident. First, they had to investigate the risk of cave-ins.

As Theo left the office carrying his things, Gatto, the mine foreman, happened to be returning from the mine.

Gatto should also have become Cursed after receiving a Termea's curse, but perhaps Elbert had treated Gatto with 〈Regeneration〉's blessing. Gatto now looked completely well.

"Hm? Kid, whose child are you?"

Gatto must have assumed Theo was a miner's child. It was not unusual for miners' children to bring them snacks or collect their spare clothes.

Theo gave an ambiguous smile.

"...Is there any danger of a cave-in?"

"Hm? Oh, the back section's a little dangerous, so it'll probably be a while before we can start mining again."

"...Then tomorrow is the day the bank representative is coming to visit, so I think you should discuss it then. The equipment application documents are in the green file. The foreman's nicer clothes are in the second drawer from the bottom of the wardrobe in the back."

Gatto stared blankly.

Gatto would never again say, "You're a thoughtful little kid."

Theo bowed to Gatto.

"Thank you for everything... Please don't drink too much, and take care of yourself."

With only that said, Theo ran away from the spot as if fleeing.

None of the miners he passed paid Theo any attention. Not one of them even greeted him with a "Hey."

Even if they gave Theo a quick glance, they immediately lost interest.

"Ugh... ughhh...!"

Theo ran with his teeth clenched, then finally stopped near the deserted spoil heap.

He crouched down and buried his face in the knees he held against his chest.

"Mew..."

His clothes shifted, and the white fluffball rolled out from around his stomach. Had he crushed it when he crouched down?

"Sorry. Did I hurt you?"

Still crouching, Theo held out both hands.

The fluffball hopped into his palm.

Theo's expression softened. The warmth and faint heartbeat unique to a small living creature eased his lonely heart, if only a little.

"What are you, anyway?"

"Meow."

"I'm Theo. Theo."

The fluffball seemed to have little arms and legs, though they were sadly short. It also had what looked like a tail and ears, but those were so tiny they were buried beneath its fluffy fur.

The fluffball rubbed its soft fur against Theo's palm. Maybe its body had simply been itchy, but Theo was happy because it felt as though it were being affectionate.

"Mew."

"Are you trying to comfort me?"

It probably was not, but Theo decided to interpret it however he liked.

When he brought his face closer to the fluffball, its soft fur brushed against his cheek. It was very cute.

"...I'm Theo."

"Meow."

"My name is Theo."

Animals could not call Theo by name. So even if he was not called, it did not hurt.

He knew he was only pouring his helpless feelings onto a creature that could not understand words. Even so, please forgive him, just for now.

"I'm Theo... I'm Theo..."

Don't cry. You're going to become a knight, aren't you? Telling himself that, Theo clenched his teeth.

（Someone, call me by my name.）

"Meow."

Suddenly, the fluffball sprang up from Theo's palm and jumped into his pocket.

The fluffball wriggled around until it found a comfortable position, then settled there and curled into a ball.

"Wow..."

The warmth of the little creature reached him through his clothes. Right now, it felt unbearably difficult to let go of.

Theo did not pull it out. Instead, he gently stroked the fluffball through his pocket.

Then he heard footsteps behind him. Was it a miner? Or perhaps a child gathering spoil? Theo turned as he considered this, then caught his breath.

A tall boy was approaching him.

Allen.

All the blood drained from Theo's body. He had to run.

Because Theo could no longer bear the way kind, gentle people looked at strangers they did not know.

Holding his pocket lightly with one hand so the fluffball would not fall out, Theo started to run...

"Theo!"

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