Chapter 320: Laveua
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 320: Laveua
“Your dad wasn't much of a fighter, you know. It was the same when I first met your mother.”
“B-But… the uncles and aunts all said you were great and strong, Dad.”
“Hahahaha. I suppose it might have looked that way in their eyes.”
This is why a flawed education is a dangerous thing. To my clan members, I might have seemed like some kind of legend, but back then, I was only a little better than the others—certainly no legend. What I was saying was the undeniable truth.
“But what I’m telling you is right. In the beginning, your dad was weak, so I just threw daggers from the back. To be precise, it wasn’t just me. The first Green Skins who wanted to form a clan and live with me were all weak. Gark and Hark, the Goblin Sisters, and Hakajin were all weak when I first saw them. Orbo was a captive of the humans. If anything, Mev was the strong one. Haha.”
“Really?”
I nodded at Laveua’s question.
“But how…”
“I just kept trying, just like you’re doing now, Laveua. It was the same back then as it is now. I swung my sword every day, morning, noon, and night, and I constantly thought and worried about how I could get stronger. It wasn’t just me; all the clan members worked hard every single day, doing whatever they could to become stronger.”
“.............................”
“But even then, I was still weak. While I was busy catching small magical beasts, there were people hunting medium or large ones. When I finally learned to cut down a tree with my sword, there were people who could slice through a huge boulder in a single strike. Even though I trained hard every day, I didn't see much progress, so I got angry, frustrated, and felt a lot of self-loathing. Haha. I even felt inferior to Uncle Gark at one point.”
“Oh…”
“There were times when I thought I’d gotten strong, only to be beaten down so badly that I owed my life to my clan members. Nicole’s father was one of the ones who died in my place.”
“Ah…”
She probably knew this fact. It would have been recorded in the Combat Training Information Office.
“Najin, Gaon, and Kurajin—those three warriors died for me. If it weren't for them, I wouldn't be here, and neither would you, Laveua.”
“I should… be nicer to Nicole.”
I nodded at Laveua’s words.
“You know about the former chieftain, don’t you?”
Laveua nodded. Of course she knew. Even now, a grave made from the fang of an eastern magical beast stood in a corner of the settlement.
[ Chieftain Ragia, who devoted herself to the rise of the Blood Dagger Clan, rests in this land. ]
It was engraved with those words. I’d heard that Laveua and Nicole often spent time there, so it would be strange if she didn’t know.
“Ah… yes, I know. Lady Ragia.”
“Actually, your name, Laveua, was created by combining the names of Ragia and your mother, Mev.”
“R-Really?”
I thought she would have known, but seeing her eyes go wide, it seemed she truly had no idea. Her reaction was quite cute, so I smiled and stroked her head again.
“Your mother devoted herself to the clan from beginning to end and truly sacrificed a great deal. Mev was not only strong, but she always worked for my sake and for the settlement. The clan would never have grown this large without her. It’s the same even now. Your mother is always thinking of the clan and me, and that’s something I’m incredibly grateful to her for…”
“Ah…”
It seemed that while Laveua loved her mother, there was a part of her that found her a little unreliable. As I continued to shower Mev with praise, she kept smiling, looking pleased. It’s only natural for a child to smile when they know their parents have a good relationship.
“I’ve always felt both sorry and grateful toward the former chieftain, Ragia. It was my own inadequacy that led to her death. I thought I was strong, so I acted recklessly, and in the end, I got her killed. Just like your mother, Ragia always did her best for the clan. Rather than looking out for her own interests, she was willing to sacrifice everything to work for me. I would never have been able to grow stronger without Ragia. I learned so much thanks to her.”
“I see…”
She must have known the related stories, but this was the first time I had expressed it so honestly. Ragia, too, was someone I cherished.
“Your dad was really weak. If a magical beast like that had hit me once, I would have gone flying.”
“Heeheehee…”
“Still, I became strong, just as you see me now, right?”
“Yeah.”
“Many Green Skins sacrificed so much for me, even though I wasn’t worth it. Besides Green Skins like Najin, Gaon, and Kurajin, many others have thrown their lives away for me. I always fight carrying the weight of their names—the Green Skins who died because of my mistakes and the Green Skins who helped me. There are those, like your mothers, who have always supported me and helped me grow stronger. Even at this very moment, there are more Green Skins acting for my sake than for their own.”
“....................”
“I could never have become this strong if I were alone. They are a heavy burden. But they are a burden I can never set down.”
“Ah…”
“Your name, Laveua, was chosen to signify that I would never forget the sacrifices of Ragia and Mev.”
“O-Okay. I think I kind of get it.”
I gently removed Laveua’s horned helmet and kissed her on the forehead. Unlike the first time, when she had resisted fiercely, she was now quite calm.
“Laveua, you inherited something much stronger than horns. I’m right, aren’t I?”
I hoped she could understand. I was never good with words. I didn’t know if my message got through or not, but Laveua nodded her head emphatically. Mev’s trait that was helpful in producing a second generation had this line written in it:
[ The bloodline is inherited strongly. ]
Laveua had certainly inherited my blood more strongly than anyone else. She makes mistakes and falters. She might seem a little troubled, and it’s true she has her problems. But if Laveua is truly like me, she will strive ceaselessly. She will keep moving, keep trying, and in the end, she might even become as strong as Lapura. Of course, I couldn’t predict how long that would take, but as I watched Laveua make no move to retrieve her horns, I felt that she would be able to grow into something much greater.
“Shall we go, then?”
“O-Okay! Dad!”
“And since you succeeded in your hunt, we have to take this guy with us, right?”
“But it’s a little embarrassing. Lapura’s was much bigger…”
“This is plenty impressive. The clan members will be happy…”
Laveua reluctantly nodded. She must have realized what was more important. As we neared the settlement, Laveua lowered her head, looking a little shy, and started to shrink back. I lifted the medium-sized magical beast with my magic, then scooped up Laveua as she tried to back away, and walked into the Brother’s Land.
“L-Lady Laveua! She’s brought back a magical beast! It’s huge!”
“Amazing!”
“The blood of Blood Dagger runs strongest in her!”
I had no idea where that catchphrase came from, but just as I expected, the atmosphere was incredibly positive. Like Lapura and Ratga, Laveua was loved by the clan members. She must have realized it by now—that just like her two younger siblings, she too was loved and had expectations placed upon her.
“................”
Laveua didn’t raise her head. It wasn’t so much out of shyness, but more likely because she didn’t want to show she was crying.
“What you said, Dad… I think I get it now.”
No answer was needed. I just stroked Laveua’s head, and the cheers continued without stopping until we entered our tent. Laveua never lifted her head, clinging tightly to my arm the entire time.
*
“Mom!”
“Yes, Laveua!”
“I love you!”
“I love you too, Laveua. Hehe. Are you going out to play?”
“Yeah! There’s somewhere I need to stop by… What about you, Mom?”
“I have training.”
“Okay! Mom!”
“Yes?”
“Dad said that he’s always grateful and sorry toward you. He said he is who he is today because of you. He said that if he hadn’t met you in the beginning, the clan would never have grown this big. He said he is who he is today because of your sacrifices!”
“R-Really?”
“Yeah! Mom, are you crying? Your eyes are welling up.”
“…………No, I’m not.”
*
“Nicole!”
“Laveua! What’s up?”
“Huh? Oh, nothing. I was just wondering if you wanted to talk…”
“Something feels off… You look way too cheerful, Laveua.”
“It’s nothing. Nicole, thank you. Do you want to go see Lady Ragia’s memorial together?”
“Sounds good.”
[ Chieftain Ragia, who devoted herself to the rise of the Blood Dagger Clan, rests in this land. ]
“Thank you, Lady Ragia.”
“Thank you.”
“Nicole, did you hear? My dad said that if it weren’t for Lady Ragia, he never would have become so strong.”
“I believe that’s true. Lord Blood Dagger cares for his clan members more than anyone and always works hard for them. I heard that he deeply regretted Lady Ragia’s death. I was told he stood in front of this monument all day long.”
“Yeah. And he asked me to thank Uncle Najin, too. He said he was able to become strong for the sake of the Green Skins who lost their lives for him.”
“........................”
“For all the Green Skins who believed in him, including Uncle Najin, Uncle Gaon, and Uncle Kurajin. Do you think I can become like that?”
“I… I’m sure… hic… you can… become like that. Sob…”
“Really?”
“Yes… really. Lord Blood Dagger believes in you, Laveua, and I believe in you, too. You will definitely become strong.”
“I really hope so.”
“Where are you going now, Laveua?”
“To see Yoora. You should come too, Nicole.”
“Y-Y-Y… Yoora? Are you serious?”
“Yeah.”
“Yoora!”
“Oh? L-Lady Laveua? What can I do for you?”
“It’s just… well… that is…”
“It’s been a long time since you’ve visited, Lady Laveua. I’m very happy. Would you like to come inside for a moment?”
“N-No, that’s okay, Yoora. Yoora, you’re the strongest among the young Green Skins, right?”
“No. To be precise…”
“Yoora…”
“Yes?”
“If… if it’s okay, could you teach me how to fight?”
“..........................”
“If you don’t want to…”
“N-No, not at all, Lady Laveua. I was just about to head out for training. Shall we go together?”
“O-Okay!”
“By the way, this is strange. My wolf usually dislikes it when others get close, but for some reason, it seems particularly drawn to you today, Lady Laveua.”
“R-Really?”
“Yes. I think… it likes you. Well then, Lady Laveua. Let’s go.”
“Okay!”