WeTried Translations

Translator/Editor: nemui

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◈ The Forgotten Curse Knight ◈

Vol. 1 Ch. 2: Happiness Worth One Slice of Bacon

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Termea often appeared in Worg's coal mines, so those who defeated them received a special reward.

The Second Grade Termea Theo and Allen had defeated together today was fairly large, so the reward was especially generous.

Theo and Allen walked side by side on their way back from the mine. It was already evening, and the sun was beginning to set, but the town was just as lively as it was during the day.

The miners worked in three shifts around the clock, so shops in the mining town were often open even late at night or early in the morning.

Looking at a food stall, Allen murmured happily,

"With this much, we can eat our fill of Press Bread."

Apparently, he had already decided what to spend the special reward on.

Theo held down the pocket bulging with banknotes and coins and looked up at Allen.

"You need to think carefully before spending your allowance, Allen."

"I have thought carefully. I'm turning it into flesh and blood."

Allen was calm by nature, but he was also a glutton. He looked most serious when food was involved.

Breakfast bread was never enough for him, so he always had an extra bowl of wheat porridge. Even then, before noon, he would complain, "I'm hungry..." Maybe that much food was the secret to his height.

Theo calculated the breakdown of the special reward in his head.

"The reward is five Luo. One Luo goes toward household expenses, three Luo and fifty Merg go into savings. We split the rest, so we each get twenty-five Merg in extra allowance. Even at the cheapest price at Uncle Kagu's stall, we can only get thirteen Press Breads."

"You're quick at calculating, Theo."

Theo gave a hmph and looked up at Allen with a self-important air.

"I always use my head to get by."

"Even though you're bad at making snap decisions."

"You only ever get by with snap decisions...!"

Allen looked dependable because he was so calm, but he was careless about everything. Since he could somehow manage with quick judgment, he did not think deeply about things.

Allen was amazing, but Theo often felt that he did not seriously consider his own future.

"You should buy something for yourself sometimes too. Something other than books."

"A knight must always broaden his knowledge. Of course, what matters is not storing up knowledge, but how one uses it..."

It sounded convincing, but half of Theo's reading was just a hobby.

Theo liked reading books... or rather, he liked following lines of text. Whenever there were notices or documents around, he could not help wanting to read them from beginning to end.

As Theo passionately talked about what a knight should be, Allen glanced down at him.

"Mom would probably tell you, 'Put it in your own savings, not the household savings.'"

"It's fine."

Theo spoke firmly, without hesitation.

"I'm not doing this to be knightly. I'm doing it because I want to."

Theo was a child Allen Lawrence had found.

Five years ago, Theo had collapsed at the edge of Worg. Allen found him and brought him home.

Allen had been twelve at the time. He lived with his father, a former Holy Knight who had retired after an injury, and his mother, a former nun who had returned to secular life.

Allen's parents were greatly surprised when their son brought home a thin child, but they cared for the frail Theo and let him stay even after he recovered.

Theo had no memories from before he was found. He did not remember his own name, his parents' faces, or why he was here. Olivia, Allen's mother, had given him the name Theo.

Naturally, his age was unknown as well, so for convenience, they considered him three years younger than Allen, who had been twelve then.

"...Ah."

At that moment, Allen stopped walking. He seemed to have spotted someone in the crowd. Being so tall, Allen noticed things like that much faster than Theo did.

"Theo, wait here a moment."

Leaving those words behind, Allen smoothly made his way through the crowd. Theo hurried after him.

Finding Allen was not difficult, but little Theo was easily swallowed up by crowds. Because he was so easy to overlook, people often bumped into him without meaning any harm.

After struggling through the crowd, Theo found Allen speaking to the black-haired siblings.

They were Marina and Pino, the siblings who had told them about the Termea.

Allen took banknotes from his pocket and pressed his share of the allowance into Marina's hand.

Marina looked apologetic. She had probably said that she could not accept it. Allen told her,

"Your father was hurt in the Termea attack earlier, wasn't he?"

Allen was polite even with people outside his family. In that way, he resembled his mother, Olivia.

"We have to help each other at times like this. Otherwise, when your turn comes, no one will help you."

"Allen..."

"So, when my turn comes, will you help me?"

Allen's joking words softened the siblings' expressions. They kept repeating their thanks and bowing to him.

Theo stood a short distance away and watched the scene.

Theo aspired to become a knight. He wanted to become a Paladin like the hero Elbert.

But sometimes, he thought,

（...Allen is much, much more suited to being a knight than I am.）

Allen was taller, stronger, and much better at using his body than other children his age.

He sometimes said mean things to Theo, but he was generally kind and attentive toward everyone. That was why everyone liked him and respected him.

Once, when an old fortune-teller came to town, she looked at Allen and said,

"This child has the signs of a hero. After many hardships, he will gain wonderful honor and glory."

The children who heard the fortune-teller's words became very excited.

Allen really was amazing. He was the son of a Holy Knight, after all. Surely Allen would become a hero like his father...

Allen had smiled vaguely, as though troubled, but Theo believed the fortune-teller would be proven right.

When Allen reached out a hand to someone, he did not think, "This is how a knight should act." He simply said, "I did it because I wanted to."

Theo thought that was the nature of a true hero.

（He's completely different from me, always focused on myself with such a narrow view.）

The gap between ideals and reality was endlessly wide. That was the difference in ability between Theo and Allen.

Allen returned to Theo. Even in times like this, Allen could quickly spot Theo, who was so easily swallowed by crowds.

Theo swallowed his many feelings: how amazing he thought Allen was, how grateful he was for Allen's kindness, and the selfishness of comparing Allen to himself and feeling discouraged. Then he muttered in a sulky voice,

"...It feels like Allen is always the only one losing out."

"Then let's do this. Theo can treat me to Press Bread."

"Why would I do that?"

"That way, everyone can be a little happier."

Theo's irritation faded, and he let out a hah.

"You're such a glutton, Allen... Fine. Let's get one with tomato, cheese, and bacon too."

Surely he could share happiness worth one slice of bacon with his big brother figure.

The two of them walked side by side toward the Press Bread stall.

"Allen... don't you want to become a Holy Knight?"

Allen's father, Duncan, had been a Holy Knight before his death a year ago. The adults expected that Allen would eventually go to the Holy District, swear an oath to God, and become a Holy Knight.

But Theo did not want to force the idea that Allen should become a Holy Knight simply because he was the son of one.

"Um, it has nothing to do with Duncan, your father. I just mean, what do you want to do, Allen? Besides, you're Blessed, right?"

Those who bore the blessing of the Three Angels who served God were called Blessed.

There were individual differences among the Blessed, but they generally had greater physical abilities than ordinary people. Theo had heard that most Holy Knights were Blessed as well.

Allen and both his parents were Blessed. It would be fair to call Allen someone born to become a Holy Knight.

But Allen's answer was simple.

"I don't intend to become either a Holy Knight or a knight."

There were many kinds of knights, but they were broadly divided into knights who served local lords and Holy Knights who swore loyalty to God in the Reyel Holy District.

Theo admired Holy Knights, but becoming one was difficult. Even becoming a knight who served a lord was not something just anyone could do.

"But that old fortune-teller said it before, Allen. She said you had the signs of a hero. That after many hardships, you would gain wonderful honor and glory."

"Having many hardships is... um... no, I really don't want that."

"Your ambitions are too low!"

"I want a modest life with modest happiness. I only want to swing a sword when a Termea appears nearby."

"...Hmm."

Allen apparently did not like fighting. Theo did not think that made him a coward.

When a Termea appeared in the mine, Allen took up his sword without hesitation and charged in faster than anyone.

（Honestly, I want Allen to aim to become a knight too.）

He had dreamed more than once or twice of training with Allen and working toward becoming knights together.

More than anything, Allen was truly strong. He was probably a genius with a sword. Was it selfish of Theo to think it would be a waste for Allen to spend his whole life as a miner?

"Do you plan to spend your whole life in Worg as a miner?"

"Hmm, maybe I could take over Uncle Kagu's stall and sell Press Bread?"

"You're such a glutton, you'd probably go into the red from sneaking bites..."

Allen laughed at Theo's murmur. It was the kind of evasive laugh adults used.

"If Theo becomes a knight, I'll support you. But I hope you'll come home sometimes too."

"...Is there anything you want to do, Allen?"

"If I have family and can eat every day, that's enough for me."

Theo knew that Allen's idea of family naturally included him. But he did not mention it.

The two walked side by side through the familiar town bathed in sunset, talking about trivial things.

The rows of chimney silhouettes created a contrast of light and dark against the orange sunset. Theo liked that time of day, but it also frightened him a little.

（It looks like the sky is burning...）

The sea lay west of Worg, and if he looked closely, he could see the shapes of ships.

To the east, trains ran toward Erington, billowing reddish-gray smoke. Those ships and trains carried the Red Coal mined in Worg, or the remains of Termea, to many different places.

（Someday, I'll ride a train... swear an oath to God at the Reyel Holy District in Erington, and become a Holy Knight.）

With the sunset behind him, Theo gazed quietly at the eastern sky and made his vow.

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