YnO4

Aspiring to be a Knight

Three years before the Brave who slew the Demon Lord returned to the Imperial Capital

“Thank you Wynn-kun. Here’s the payment.”

“Thank you very much.”

After delivering the harvested herbs and mushrooms to the apothecary’s proprietress, he received the money.

“Recently, that girl that you’re usually with isn’t here, is she?”

“Eeh, well… There were circumstances with Leti’s family, and it seems like she had to leave the capital.”

“So that’s why. You two suited each other very much. Isn’t it lonely?”

‘It’s been a month since that last match against Leti, after heading somewhere far away, she must’ve reached her destination. I wonder if she was able to fit in before she married?’

Several times, the children of the innkeepers — Mark and Abel — and the neighborhood children would invite Leti to play with them, whenever they saw her, but she would, somehow, end up peeling potatoes alongside Wynn. Whenever it was his break time, their thoughts were like an open book.

Whenever they invite her to play, Leticia would firmly reject their offer, no matter what they said; and, after trying multiple times, they would break into tears and throw tantrums.

Other than their persistence, they never became close friends with her, but they were still hoping that she got along with the family she was married into.

“I will try my hardest, so that I can return as soon as possible!”

Those were Leti’s words on the last day they met.

He did not know what she would try her best at, but it was Leti. She would definitely adapt to her new circumstances.

‘Mou, we will probably never meet again.’

He felt a sense of loneliness at the thought.

Wynn was convinced that Leti was being married off in a faraway land.

If one read the news, an image of the Brave’s departure parade would be shown, but the news only circulated among the richest people.

He heard gossip about the advent of the Brave, and the Demon Lord subjugation mission from the adventurers and merchants staying at the inn, but he never imagined that Leti=Brave.

To Wynn, what was once only Wynn’s everyday chores, was changed by Leti.

Without Leti by his side, it became quiet. Thus, his everyday life of doing chores continued.

It was impossible for Wynn to know any details about the Brave.

“Well, please take care of yourself, Oba-san!”

“Aiyo! Thanks!”

‘I can’t lose to Leti!’ he thought. ^[1]

Wynn was fired up, and while carrying a shawl shaped satchel on his shoulder, he left the Apothecary.

Every morning for a whole year, he would jog towards the Adventurer’s Guild to complete herb delivery and letter delivery requests.

The Adventurer’s Guild had plenty of requests of that nature.

Since monsters(mamono) from the deepest part of the forest did not appear, novice adventurers would take on these easy requests, collecting herbs and mushrooms from the outskirts of the forest.

Mail delivery was done by two people who regularly ran around the town.

To an extent, novice Adventurers could also deliver letters efficiently. Many people sent letters, including nobles and merchants.

Naturally, since not many people were awake in the mornings, normal mail would be slipped through an opening, while the noble’s mail would be given to the gatekeeper.

In addition to the commission rewards, he received tips (especially from pretentious nobles who wanted to display their wealth), and after a year of continuous work, he had almost earned his targeted amount of money.

“Wynn! Stop swinging that stick around, and go to the market and restock this!” ^[2]

“Hai.”

Since Leti wasn’t there, Wynn’s work at the inn increased.

When Leti was there, they would do it together, while swinging their bokkens. Now, however, Hanna would ask him to restock the supplies and draw some water when it neared closing time.

Wynn was relied on to go shopping to the point that Hanna happily accepted his coming-of-age, and Wynn happily did his work.

As for Leti’s absence, rather than be concerned that she was absent (or her family), Hanna’s only thought was the increased workload.

He walked to the market while holding the memo he got from Hanna in one hand.

Although the sky was beginning to darken before he set out, the market was still bustling.

He was among other children running errands, and merchants clothed in traveling attire. Among the bustling stores, a village’s harvest, handicrafts, and many small accessories were displayed.

There was a variety of customers there, including many people wanting to replenish supplies, locals, adventurers, and travelers.

Of course, passing through such a large crowd was immensely difficult. Wynn, who was walking towards Wandering Bird’s Roost’s supplier, which the inn was indebted to, suddenly stopped.

Before his sight, a satay shop was selling to the incoming buyers.

The juices dripping from the skewered meat, along with the sound of charred pieces falling to the ground and the enticing aroma, were all around him.

Attracted by the appetizing smell, people crowded around the cart. Among them were people drinking beer and wine.

His mouth watered.

In the middle of the dark town, many of the adults around Wynn, who was still on his way to draw water, were complaining on their way to work.

Having not eaten breakfast, especially for a growing boy like Wynn, his empty stomach grumbled.

Enticed by the smell, he unconsciously, unsteadily —-

Q

“I will try my hardest, so that I can return as soon as possible!”

Leti’s voice rang out inside his head.

‘Even Leti is trying her hardest in a distant, unfamiliar land.’

‘I have almost saved up enough money. If I, who wants to be a knight, gives in to this temptation, what would I be?’

With a Do-or-Die spirit, he drew away from the smell of the satay, and looked away, without knowing its succulent taste.

Returning to his original place, he was trapped in the same trap —

‘Will I really become a knight?’

He often thought this while washing potatoes and carrots.

Even though he didn’t think too deeply about it, it still worried him.

‘Even if could I pay the entrance fee, even if I could pass the entrance exam, nearly all of the students are children of nobility, merchant’s children or landowners’ children.’

‘Unlike when I wanted to become a knight when I was five years old, I am now twelve years old. I now understand what it means to pursue a dream unbefitting my class.’

Upon turning 15, to succeed Randell, Mark began to manage the inn, and was study how to manage the account book from Hanna.

The Mark who only wanted to play, upon realizing that he would succeed the inn, started to proactively help his father.

On the other hand, the 13-year-old Abel would sometimes flee for a while, instead of working towards getting familiar with the business.

“I wanna become An adventurer!”

A vein in Randell’s head bulged at the dreamy Abel’s words, and Randell’s fist came crashing down.

“So, this inn and town is too small for you, Abel?”

Abel, teary-eyed and shouting due to Randall’s scolding, was defended by Hanna, as always.

Hanna was soft on her sons.

However, the words that Randell used to scold him for being too idealistic were overheard by Wynn, who was wiping the floor with a cloth, and pierced his heart.

‘I can’t laugh at Abel.’

‘My dream is also idealistic.’

‘Even though I will soon have enough money, will it really be fine?’

‘Even if I attend school, If I can’t become a knight, wouldn’t I have wasted my time?’

Without parents to support him, his only friend far away, without consulting anybody, with only the money he saved, Wynn would also work hard at the inn and in his training.

While thinking of not losing to Leti, who was working her hardest in a far away land—

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AN: To those who expected a reunion, sorry. It will be a bit later. (TL: 2 more chapters (chapter 6))

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Translator Notes

1. TL: He uses shinyou to modify Leti. Shinyou means bosom friend, according to the dictionary, or in other words, BFF —back
2. TL: second part —back

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