Chapter 228
Chapter 228
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 228
Chapter Title: A Day Out with Haike
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The shopkeeper nodded readily.
“Go ahead~ But if you leave it to me, I can take a good shot for you.”
“Haha, I know. This time, we’ll take it ourselves.”
I paid him for the film and rented the camera.
Even back in my past life, cameras from around this era were portable enough to hold by hand. Of course, it would’ve been a bit heavy if you tried with one hand instead of two. This mana-powered camera looked similar to those from my past, and it wasn’t exactly lightweight. But with a new human’s body, it shouldn’t be much trouble even for one hand.
I fiddled with the wooden camera box, checking how it worked. Mana filled a glass vial inside, and pressing the button on the side took the photo right away. Confirming it wasn’t much different from the ones used by the palace or newspapers, I channeled mana into my arm and lifted the camera with one hand.
Haike sidled up beside me, peering curiously.
“Why’d you rent that? And I’ve never seen anyone load mana into their arm just to take a photo.”
“What’s wrong with giving it your all, even for fun?”
“So this is how you go all out.”
“Haike.”
I positioned us where the light was just right and pulled his shoulder close.
Holding the camera upside down and raising it high, Haike’s eyes went wide.
“What?”
“Just taking a photo, that’s all.”
“But why from up above like that?”
“Let’s try it. Haike, keep your head still and just look at the lens with your eyes, okay?”
I wasn’t sure if he’d like it.
Truth be told, even in modern times, I hadn’t done this voluntarily much, but I did remember friends nagging me to pose properly. I’d snapped a few for SNS posts during work trips.
Different era or not, people were people—maybe he’d take it in stride well enough.
My guess wasn’t wrong.
Thirty minutes later, Haike’s eyes sparkled as he grabbed the developed photo first.
“…Wow.”
He flapped his mouth soundlessly for a bit, like he couldn’t find words, then unleashed a machine-gun barrage.
“Shooting from above makes it look like this. Back when I was running around taking photos all the time, I never saw anyone hold it themselves to snap their own face. Is this the trend now?”
Not yet….
There were folks who occasionally took selfies with these era’s cameras, but it wasn’t a trend by any means—just novelty shots once or twice. No one obsessed over angles.
I had nothing to say, so I just gave an awkward smile. Haike smiled faintly.
“It’s good.”
“Yeah? Glad you think so.”
“I like this better. We look closer this way.”
Haike beamed. I smiled back and glanced out the window.
Getting praise for something so ordinary made me feel oddly guilty.
To shake off the unease, I deliberately thought of something else.
‘What if I started a mana-powered camera selfie business here…?’
Sounds decent?
I shook my head right after.
I was already raking in millions of pell a month from the sensory transfer artifact patent. Leo had registered it in my name since I’d fixed it properly during the Strauch incident.
Just then, Haike, flipping through the three developed photos, spoke up.
“You’ve taken a lot of photos, huh? I look stiff in mine, but you’re natural in all of them.”
“…….”
No good response again, so I sat beside him and smoothly changed the subject.
“You seem familiar with this place, Haike. You must really love photography.”
“Yeah. Started making photo albums in middle school.”
“Really? Can I see them when we get back?”
“Of course.”
We kept chatting about photos as we left the shop.
It wasn’t exactly back-and-forth—mostly me prompting, him answering.
“What got you into photography? Wanting to preserve memories is common, but not many turn it into a hobby like this.”
“…….”
No quick reply.
Maybe I hit a sore spot? Then Haike answered dryly.
“Because of my mom’s photo. I can’t see her.”
“…….”
Out of nowhere?
But I got why it came up. I recalled what he’d said at the Eschet launch celebration: he wanted to live with his mom after graduation.
Feeling a wave of darkness, I apologized.
“Yeah… Sorry. I shouldn’t have asked. You don’t have to say.”
“No. I want to.”
“…….”
He wants to? Couldn’t stop him if he insisted.
I wasn’t uninterested, so I nodded.
“Do you know why I can’t see her? Feels like you might.”
“Yeah. The contract, right?”
“Right. Can’t let Uncle find out. The deal was I’d never see Mom for life, in exchange for becoming the Ainsidel heir—between her and Uncle.”
Common enough.
They do that when producing heirs or adopting kin—to prevent mana donors or birth parents claiming ownership over the heir’s mana.
“I was separated from her at five, so memories are fuzzy. When I moved to the direct line, Uncle sent all her photos back, but one slipped through to me by chance.”
“I see.”
“Didn’t think much at first, but years later, it hit me: it was valuable keepsake material.”
Valuable keepsake material. The phrasing….
Classic new human. Not all talk like Haike, but his personality stripped it to the raw basics, unpretentious.
No repulsion, though. Words were just shell; his emotions weren’t so different from anyone’s, proven by his next very human words.
“Sometimes when I feel like a weirdo, looking at her face calms me.”
“…….”
I stayed silent.
Narke asking Haike what he wanted post-graduation came to mind. Narke didn’t waste words. Haike missing his mom must’ve been key info.
Not that I’d interrogate Narke to ease my suspicions.
If Haike wanted to share his struggles, I’d listen and maybe use it to help him later.
“Want to see your mom?”
“Yeah. Right now. …Not much affection, though. She probably doesn’t remember me well either.”
“…….”
“Still curious. Why can’t I feel emotions right? If I’d lived with Mom instead of Uncle—who doesn’t care about me as a person—would it be different? Is my personality like hers? If yes, I wasn’t raised wrong. If not… maybe I could become a normal adult too.”
I already knew from our Ainsidel mansion talk that he saw his emotional flatness as a problem.
Grateful for the deep trust letting him open up, but no words to add. Better not risk my goodwill reading as ignorance.
I just nodded and walked toward our destination. The setting sun warmed us more than noon. The quiet residential street’s only sound was melting snow squelching under our shoes.
Soon, faint car horns and hoofbeats filtered in. Old human chatter hummed low. As the bustling district’s edge appeared, Haike pointed to a red sign on a building beyond the alley.
“Hey, kegling alley.”
* * *
The place was a game hall for commoners. I picked a middle-class spot figuring Haike might feel out of place, but since it wasn’t a social club, we shrugged off our jackets and rolled up our shirt sleeves casually.
Still, no modern arcade vibe. Why?
‘…Someone’s playing piano here….’
Weird, but sounded nice.
Seemed novel enough for Haike too—a 21st-century guy like me aside. He trailed me, eyes roaming the exposed gas lamp pipes on the ceiling, ogling the bourgeois youths in relatively relaxed attire. To me, they looked plenty formal, nothing special.
Before he got too into old human watching, I pulled him aside. Eyeing the two ball types—unlike bowling’s variety—I said,
“Haike. Good at kegling?”
“Tried it once or twice at social gatherings. When I was little.”
“Got it.”
To keep it fun, match his level? I had loads of bowling experience; big skill gap would kill the scoring fun, and he’d lose interest fast.
‘Hm, but mine was 21st-century bowling, not 19th-century kegling—bit of a snag.’
No shoe swap here, just two balls, lines where gutters should be. Only nine pins.
Similar otherwise, but adaptation would take time—no need to hold back.
Then Haike called my name softly from the side.
“Lucas.”
“Yeah?”
Tense tone. Like when I suggested photos.
Sure enough, his eyes gleamed.
“Wanna bet? Loser buys beer.”
Haike suggesting it first?
Huge progress. He must be really enjoying this.
Though…
“More beer?”
“…I was gonna say drink while playing.”
“Hm, sure.”
I smiled and handed him a ball.
Thirty minutes later, I took back that smile.
“At least it was a spare….”
Haike pouted, trailing off in front of a spare.
Honestly, with his “tried once or twice as a kid,” I figured he’d gutter everything.
‘Feel bad now.’
He’d struck three times straight before this miss and was crushed. Wanted a clean game of strikes, probably.
Brushing his hands, he peeked at the scorekeeper’s note of my score.
“You’re really good, Lucas.”
“Yeah? Looks like you’re better to me.”
I’d hit bowling alleys often in the 21st century, so I wasn’t bad.
Matching a casual kid-tryer with my regular play? Felt his athletic talent firsthand.
We kept at it another two and a half hours, more inertia than fun. Both stubborn, we wouldn’t settle for slim margins—pushed till one clearly won.
Around 8 p.m., Haike timidly asked, flaring mana from his hands.
“Lucas… how long we doing this…?”
“Dunno. Wanna stop?”
I wiped sweat and set the ball down.
The scorekeeper approached with the sheet.
Not kegling rules expert, but clear: I won three games, he won four.
Haike’s eyes widened. Quietly,
“I won?”
“Yeah. Congrats, Haike. Let’s come again.”
I smiled and clapped his back.
No sore loss feelings—kegling didn’t spark that rivalry, and even if it did, we weren’t at outburst level.
Wanted to celebrate more actively, but I was wiped.
Haike, unfazed, wandered excitedly, then shoved a fresh beer from the counter at me.
“Drink.”
“Huh? You won.”
“You bought last one.”
“Hey, Haike. It was a bet.”
“Drink.”
“…….”
No clue why bet then, but refusing would loop forever. I took the bottle.
He blurted right away.
“What now?”
Already? Was gonna suggest a café.
Fingers and back wrecked, but he had energy left.
Seeing his eyes bigger than usual—today fun?—I chuckled lightly.
Didn’t realize it, but after stalkers and Phleromas, grinding high schooler affinity felt relaxing. Still just a high schooler, after all.
‘Affinity not budging is nagging, though….’
Sounds like dissatisfaction.
But he’d given just 1 voluntary point before—expected this. Gotta see it through.
Smiling, I pointed outside.
“Dinner time. Market?”
* * *
“First time at a market.”
An hour in, Haike said that. We were on a park bench, munching sausages from a stall, streetlights our only glow as dusk fell fast.
I shrugged.
“Me too.”
This market at least—status kept me away.
Same for him. Luckily, no snobbery; he just buzzed around excitedly. Must’ve blown all his cash—paper bags piled by his chair.
Me? Just a plate of sauerkraut.
“Why only sauerkraut?”
“Not that hungry.”
“Wow.”
Soulless exclamation, he eyed me then refilled the empty bottle with a beer spell. Rare him initiating—probably distracting me.
Expression blank, he chugged then murmured.
“Today was fun.”
“Phew, worried it wasn’t. Glad.”
“No, really.”
He smiled slowly.
“First selfie like that with you, first kegling with a friend, first market, first time telling you about Mom.”
“…….”
I nodded, smiling.
Stuff ordinary to me, all special to him—heavier shoulders now.
His first friend, sharing his many firsts. Deeper memories meant more caution around him.
Yet zero affinity gain despite impact—odd. Not resentful; no obligation for my desired reaction. Never thought negative of his responses.
Time to refocus—not on Haike, but the proposal’s intent.
‘Check one thing first.’
I opened the possibility window.
Dawn777
— To Final Ending ‘Chapter X. Death’: 596 days, 13 hours, 3 minutes, 13 seconds
— Possibility of Change: 48.9% (+3.0%p)
‘48.9%.’
Good.
Time to think.
Is he seeking Mom to confirm emotional deficit roots and self-accept, prove change potential, or just crave parental bond over indifferent uncle?
Why Narke’s piercing look at Haike’s “live with Mom post-grad”?
Only know: Narke’s reaction means something there, maybe key to averting villain future.
‘Why assume that?’
Overreach?
Normally, no basis—I wouldn’t factor it.
But now grounds to consider.
Best efforts, but clear limits achieving proposal.
Next-lowest Ulrike gave 4 points despite efforts. Others: Haike 1, Yulia 2.
All teammates but Haike over 5 affinity. Experience says high stats barely budge in a week—even 1 point hard.
Bottom line: Structurally impossible without targeting near-0 Haike. System assumes I’d raise his.
Raising stubborn-no-point Haike means beyond bonding—like today—touching core emotions.
‘Why push dangerous proposal?’
Tied to his future?
Test it.
“Haike.”
“Yeah?”
“Chance to see Mom now—would you?”
“Of course.”
No hesitation.
Eyes sharpened from flat calm instantly.
I watched him. Surprised by his own words, he covered mouth, then back to neutral.
“…Just a wish. She wouldn’t welcome me… whatever, doesn’t matter, but we contracted no meetings.”
Instead of replying, I reopened the window.
Dawn777
— To Final Ending ‘Chapter X. Death’: 596 days, 13 hours, 2 minutes, 55 seconds
— Possibility of Change: 51.9% (+3.0%p)
“…….”
Up. 3%p from one phrase.
Proposal’s message clear now.
It’s telling me: change Haike’s future.