WeTried Translations

Translator/Editor: nemui

Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried

◈ The Forgotten Curse Knight ◈

Vol. 1 Ch. 8: Olivia Lawrence's Son

──────

“We who drift along the boundary. Gray hounds before we are stained black. We’re the Gray Knights, gray hounds permitted to go out wearing collars. Gray Knights hunt Termea alongside Holy Knights so they can kill the Termea that cursed them.”

Beryl’s sing-song words sent a chill through Theo.

“...Collars?”

Theo murmured as he stared at the choker. Beryl gave a wry smile.

“This lets them keep track of whoever wears it. Gray Knights have to wear chokers when they go out... You can probably guess why.”

Understanding the purpose of that measure, Theo felt his stomach grow heavy.

Gray Knights were cursed knights. Dangerous people who could turn into Termea at any moment as their curses progressed. That was likely why their movements were restricted.

“Don’t look like that. Sure, there are a lot of restrictions, but we have a pretty good time. Anyway, back to the point.”

Theo bit his lip with a gloomy expression, and Beryl continued in an especially cheerful voice.

“One of our fellow Gray Knights fell into the sea on the West End front and got swept away. I don’t think she’s dead, but we can’t contact her.”

Termea were invaders from beyond the continent. Those black monsters crossed the Sea of Oblivion to reach them.

Their invasions were especially fierce in the west, making the West End coastline a fierce battleground.

The Gray Knight in question had been sent there as part of the fighting force, but had fallen into the sea during battle and been carried away.

（If she drifted south along the coast from the West End, it wouldn’t be strange if she ended up in the waters west of this town...）

As Theo thought that far, a question suddenly occurred to him.

Hadn’t Beryl just said that the choker could reveal its wearer’s location?

“Don’t you know exactly where that Gray Knight is?”

“Well, there are various adult reasons for that. For now, all we know for certain is that she’s somewhere around here. She’s a white-haired girl named Carla, wearing gray clothes like mine. She has a Curse Sigil on her back.”

It seemed the choker’s workings were confidential.

Elbert took over from Beryl.

“We are currently searching for that Gray Knight, Carla. We would like the help of you two, since you know this town well.”

There was no reason to refuse a request from the hero Elbert. Theo answered firmly at once.

“Of course! Please ask anything of us if there’s something we can do!”

“Thank you, Theo.”

Elbert thanked him with a smile, and Theo found himself getting carried away again.

After all, his admired hero Elbert had thanked him. By name, too.

（He remembered my name. Lord Elbert did...!）

Even as he rejoiced, Theo felt something was off. Allen had been unusually quiet for a while now.

Theo glanced at Allen. Allen wore an unreadable blank expression, apparently deep in thought.

As Theo worried about Allen, Elbert continued.

“Actually, I was just speaking with Mrs. Lawrence... Once we have finished searching for Carla and return to the Reyel Holy District, I would like to make you both my squires. What do you think?”

Theo caught his breath.

Elbert owed Duncan a debt. That was why he had said he wanted to help Duncan’s son, Allen, if Allen wished to become a Holy Knight.

（Lord Elbert must have heard about my situation from Mother Olivia...）

That was why he had offered to make them both squires.

It was an incredibly generous offer. Yet Theo hesitated to accept it.

（Because I lied to Lord Elbert earlier...）

In a moment of weakness, he had blurted out that he was Duncan’s son, then immediately taken it back and run away. What shameless behavior. Just remembering it made his face burn.

Theo clenched his fists in his lap and lowered his head.

“Lord Elbert, I’m sorry. I... am not a member of the Lawrence family. So I have no right to accept your kindness.”

Silence filled the room. Theo could not raise his bowed head. He had still rejected Elbert’s goodwill.

“Theo.”

Olivia quietly called his name. Theo cautiously raised his face.

Olivia sat with her back straight, looking directly at him. Her gaze was stern yet kind, like that of a former nun.

“If you do not wish to become a member of the Lawrence family, I will not force you. But if you are saying that only because you are holding back... then I will say this with certainty.”

Olivia’s brows softened as she smiled gently. Her next words were full of the affection of a warm embrace.

“No matter what anyone says, you are the child of this household, raised by Duncan Lawrence and Olivia Lawrence.”

“Mother Olivia...”

“So I will recommend you with confidence. Because you are my proud son.”

Theo was an inconspicuous child, someone people quickly forgot. Yet Olivia had called him her proud son.

Theo sniffed once. He would not let his tears fall. If he started crying, he knew he would not be able to stop.

Elbert and Beryl watched the exchange between mother and son with gentle smiles.

Just as Theo was about to answer through trembling lips, Allen spoke.

“I have one suggestion.”

Theo started.

That was right. Elbert had offered to make both of them squires, but Allen had never intended to become a Holy Knight in the first place.

“One squire should be enough, right? So...”

Theo thought Allen would surely decline Elbert’s invitation.

But Allen made an entirely different proposal.

“Theo and I will duel. Make the winner your squire.”

Everyone was stunned by Allen’s words.

Surprisingly, Beryl was the first to agree.

“I like that.”

Beryl crossed her legs beneath her wrap skirt and slowly licked her lips.

Her narrowed eyes gleamed as though wet. Her smile was alluring and provocative.

Beryl was a lively older-sister type, but sometimes she showed a sensual side that made Theo’s heart skip.

“Win your own rights with your own strength. I don’t dislike that. So, where will you do it?”

“On the western hill.”

“Huh. Sounds like it has a good view. When do we start?”

“Right now.”

Allen’s words were brief. As though even that amused her, Beryl stood with a laugh.

“Good, straight to the point. All right, let’s go right away.”

“Yes.”

“Allen!” Olivia cried out.

But Allen had no intention of listening.

Unable to follow the conversation, Theo stared at Allen with his mouth half open. Allen did not look his way. His silent back said nothing.

Elbert lightly glared at Beryl in reproach.

“Beryl, this concerns my squires.”

“Sorry for butting in. But I think it’ll be better this way, without any lingering feelings. Besides...”

Beryl wrapped an arm around Elbert’s shoulder as he sat and brought her lips close to his ear.

“When there’s a man with eyes like that, don’t you just want to root for him?”

“...Honestly, you.”

Elbert swallowed the words that followed and let out a small breath.

Having argued the hero into silence, Beryl grinned and looked at Theo.

“So? Aren’t you going to fight, Theo? Even though you want to become a Holy Knight?”

Her tone was somewhat provocative. But Theo did not dislike it.

He truly did want to become a Holy Knight. If this was a trial for that goal, he would overcome it.

He would not simply take the hand Elbert had offered him. He would prove his own strength, be recognized as worthy of becoming a squire, and then become a Holy Knight.

Even if the person standing in his way was Allen.

“...I’ll fight. I want to prove my strength and become a Holy Knight.”

Beryl’s lips curled into a broad grin.

“Nice. Big sis loves boys who fight.”

Join our discord at https://dsc.gg/wetried