Chapter 438 – That’s Not Love
On a moonlit coastline, a woman running along the sandy beach came to a halt, breathing heavily.
“Phew, haa, phew…… Running ten laps around the island after sparring and training… I can really feel myself getting faster little by little. My stamina is improving, and my legs and core are getting stronger too.”
Sadiz wiped the refreshing sweat from her brow, a look of satisfaction on her face. But she immediately shook her head.
“No…… Little man must have run and trained much, much more… the lower body strength that supports those footwork moves is the result of steady, diligent effort built up over time…… If I’m wallowing in self-satisfaction like this, I still have a long way to go. Oh, I’d better do some stretching.”
Stoically and voraciously. Sadiz trained herself relentlessly until late at night, yet remained unsatisfied.
She took care of her body with cool-downs and stretching so that she remained strong and ready to train again tomorrow.
Then……
“Guwaha~ you’re training with quite th’ voracious appetite, aren’t you?”
“Oh, Master.”
“Yesh, that’s fine. Sit down and relax.”
A massive dragon descended beside Sadiz, who was doing stretches on the beach.
This was Vasalar, the Dragon King of Hades, who had become their master—a figure full of dignity and majesty, yet wearing a somewhat affable smile.
“After your usual routine, you’re doing some secret special training while th’ other lads and lasses are resting? But pushing yourself too hard might backfire, yesh?”
“That may be true. However, according to Mortriage’s crew, no matter how grueling the training was each day, Little man would still run like crazy every single day. Even after doing some unusual training every now and then, he never missed a day of running. So, I want to run too. To catch up with him.”
“Ho~u”
“Of course, Little man and I have different fighting styles. It wouldn’t make sense to do exactly the same training. But when it comes to running, it builds stamina, leg strength, and mental fortitude—things that are essential for any fighting style—so I decided that I could do as much of this as I wanted.”
“Nuwahaha, I see~ no~, it’s love~. Th’ desire to share what th’ wee lad felt by doing th’ same training as him, yesh?”
“Hehehe, yes, it’s love.”
Sadiz answered with unwavering passion in her eyes, and Vasalar laughed heartily.
So much so that the once-still sea rippled from the vibration.
“I see, I see. But competition for th’ lad looks fierce, doesn’t it? He already has a bride-to-be by his side.”
“I have no intention of interfering in Little man’s relationship with Ms. Kron… or Ms. Shinobu and the princess. Even if other women appear in the future, I want Little man to be free to pursue a relationship with the woman of his own choosing.”
“Hmm…… You’re being quite lenient~. Don’t you have any rules like, ‘It must be someone you approve of’, or such~?”
“Of course, in the past…… I wouldn’t have allowed it unless Little man had chosen the princess as his fiancée, or a woman I approved of. Otherwise, I might have even taken his chastity myself…… Anyway, I would have meddled and made a fuss. But things are different now. There’s no way the woman chosen by Little man —who has grown so strong, resilient, and mature—could be the wrong choice.”
Saying that, Sadiz gazed a little wistfully toward the horizon.
Looking at her profile, Vasalar sensed that Sadiz would no longer meddle in Earth’s romantic affairs—let alone take on that role herself.
“Such a philosophical statement from a teenage lass. Love is won through strength, yesh? You could be a wee more proactive yourself.”
“It’s not that I want to be Little man’s lover or wife. I simply wish for his happiness. If I can be someone who supports him from close by—and perhaps even helps him from time to time—that is enough for me.”
“Hmm~…… Then what if th’ lad wishes to marry you?”
However, when Vasalar asked out of curiosity, “What if Earth chooses Sadiz?”, Sadiz answered without hesitation……
“In that case…… I’d wrap my arms around Little and hug him tight in a heartbeat ♥.”
“Huh…? …. Pukukuku, gwahahahaha!”
Vasalar laughed again at Sadiz, who declared that if such a thing were to happen, she wouldn’t just accept it—she’d take the initiative and embrace him herself.
However, after laughing for a while, he smiled a little sadly.
“I see~. You don’t take after her in that regard… Kaguya.”
“…… my…ancestor?”
“Hmm…… she had no interest in romantic matters, you see. In that respect, she’s just like Tre’ainar.”
“…… Hmm…… Great Demon King Tre’ainar……”
“Hmm?”
“No…… it’s nothing.”
Sadiz decided not to interfere with Earth’s love life, so she doesn’t feel any particular jealousy toward Kron or Shinobu.
However, for some reason, an intense jealousy welled up inside her whenever she thought of Tre’ainar.
Even though she can’t even see his form, Tre’ainar is always by Earth’s side day and night, raising and guiding him, and earning his absolute trust.
That position was exactly what Sadiz had originally desired most of all, and her jealousy toward Tre’ainar was the one exception.
Moreover, precisely because of the complicated history between them— Tre’ainar being the very person who had taken everything from her—it was a source of deep distress for Sadiz.
“But, if Kaguya wasn’t interested in romance, and yet I exist as her descendant, doesn’t that mean she must have had a child with someone?”
“Hmm~mm. I don’t know. Well, since her very birth is a wee mystery, rather than being a direct descendant of Kaguya, it could be that you are th’ descendant of someone who was created with Kaguya’s genes…… well, I don’t really care about that sort of thing. It’s pointless to think about it, not that it matters to you now anyway.”
“…? Well, you’re right—I don’t know, and I suppose that makes sense. I’m neither Kaguya nor a descendant of the Female Hero. In the end, I am me. I am Sadiz Lagann…… Just like Little man is not the son of a Hero, but Earth Lagann.”
Saying that, Sadiz stood up without delving into Vasalar’s story deeply.
“Well, I’m going to get some rest now. I’ll get some sleep and get ready for early morning training.”
“Yesh…… Don’t go having too many lewd dreams in Vier~?”
“Huh!? I… I’m not. Not at all.”
“Hahahaha, is that so? Perhaps you’re having some perverted, forbidden dream, yesh? Something like having your way with the lad in his vulnerable age?”
“I haven’t done any such thing with him! I might play a few pranks on Little man at that age, spoil him with some affection, share a kiss or two. but as for ‘doing it’, I’ve strictly decided—ahem—rather, I’m properly interacting with Little man at his current age across the board, so there’s no problem!—Wait, that’s not what I meant… Ahem… I’ll prepare for tomorrow.”
“If you’re that smitten with th’ lad, why don’t you just join th’ romance battle?”
Having let the words slip out unexpectedly, and feeling embarrassed that her daily routine—which she knew was twisted but couldn’t stop—had been seen through, Sadiz tried to hurry away to cover up her embarrassment.
However……
“…… hmm?”
“…… Huh?”
It happened suddenly.
No, it started.
“What is it~?”
“Wh, what is that?
Suddenly, something huge appeared in the dark night sky.
“Is that… 【Epsoney】… or perhaps a similar magic spell?”
Sadiz had never heard the words Vasalar muttered.
However, suddenly, a huge, flat rectangle appeared in the sky, and the square emitted light and something was projected onto it.
It was……
〔Dada-da-dada ♪, Unauthorized recording of this work is a serious crime panay ♪, According to my rules, it’s punishable by a fine, death, or both.〕
“”………… Huh?””
〔No More Recording Thieves!〕
The image of a strange figure appeared in the sky, wearing what looked like a giant crystal ball on its head, dancing lightly while chanting incomprehensible words.
“Nn… that was… from far back in the ancient past… yesh… a form of entertainment Kaguya showed me… something called a movie… where odd characters would dress up like that…”
“What in the world is that… a, and, that voice just now… and that word ‘Panay’…….”
It is unclear what the figure that had appeared and been projected was.
However, Vasalar recognized the figure, and Sadiz recognized the voice and tone.
However, before the two could answer, the mysterious figure disappeared, and letters appeared in the sky.
“…… Pariwood?”
Sadiz tried saying the word aloud, but it was unfamiliar to her. However, something about it caught her attention.
Vasalar furrowed his brow, deep in thought.
“There she is! Hey, Sadiz…… look at the sky!”
“Master too! What the heck was that…”
And it wasn’t just the two of them; Phianse and the others also noticed the commotion and rushed over.
Furthermore, it wasn’t just here in Cacretale, similar images were projected into the skies simultaneously all over the world.
Special Shoutout to all my Patrons. Thanks for the Overwhelming Support! Tier Rewards up on the Patreon Page soon.
SkyPhoenixZ1000
Justin Burt
Devanor
Isaac Bozkurt
Andy Lam
Jared
Abner Ruiz Gonzalez
Ethan
MLG Bacca
Tyler Justin Uehara
Cameron Harris
Tjking
Meoya
Sads Translates 