Chapter 13
Chapter 13
Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 13
Chapter Title: I'll Protect You
Softly fluttering pink hair.
Emerald-like, pale green eyes.
The woman clad in black metal armor
stretched both arms out wide and slowly spun around two or three times.
With every movement,
sunlight reflected off the sturdy metal plating, dazzling the eyes.
"What do you think? Pretty cool, right? Super reliable? Don't you just wanna throw your arms around me? Huh? Huh?"
The woman planted her hands on her hips and shrugged.
Her confident expression brimmed with anticipation.
"Ufufu! Go ahead! Praise me all you want!"
The woman winked slyly as she looked down at me.
Her lips curved up high,
flashing an innocent smile brighter than the sunlight.
My brow furrowed slightly.
It was strange.
Unfamiliar, yet not unfamiliar.
A bizarre mix of familiarity and novelty.
'...What is this? Who is she? If it's familiar, it's probably from past memories.'
I closed my eyes and rummaged through my memories.
Pink hair,
green eyes.
And—
'I just asked if she didn't look like a proper knight.'
Among the knights I'd seen in my life, was there a woman with long pink hair...?
Was there?
Or not?
I pondered so intently that surrounding sounds faded away.
A moment later—
I reached a perfectly sound conclusion.
'Let's give up.'
It was a survival tactic I'd picked up after my memories got jumbled.
Don't dig in,
don't try to think it through,
just let it pass until it ends.
That was the way to spare my sanity.
'...Nice weather.'
Her voice kept coming,
but I just stared at the large window behind her, sunlight pouring through.
'This memory must be from spring.'
A cloudless sky,
and ornate flags fluttering in the gentle spring breeze.
An unreal landscape.
Plenty to zone out on and kill time.
Memories all tangled up would find their place eventually.
"Reaaally—! Why're you spacing out without even looking, Row!"
I snapped my head up.
The woman stood before me with a pouty face.
'...Huh?'
She called my name.
Casually.
As if we'd known each other forever.
In that instant—
My body rocked back and forth.
Vision blurred.
Then sharpened again.
Before my eyes now—
was a child looking up at me anxiously.
"...Ah."
A short sigh escaped.
Back to reality.
The child clutched my clothes tight, face on the verge of tears.
I steadied my breathing,
then gently placed a hand on the child's head.
"It's okay."
"......"
"Just spaced out for a sec."
I carefully stroked the child's hair.
But something felt off.
One side of the child's head felt a bit bumpy.
Curious, I felt around.
"What's this? Humans growing horns now?"
"?"
"Oh, wait. Is this a bump?"
"!!!!!!"
I pressed lightly, and the child winced.
A small "Ah!" leaked from the child's lips.
"...Does it hurt?"
"......"
"You can tell me honestly."
The child hesitated a moment, then nodded.
That tiny nod felt oddly commendable.
"I see. Sorry. I don't get those, so I didn't know."
"......"
"Hang on a bit. I'll get some ointment."
The salve I'd bought today was supposed to ease pain, so it'd help.
As I started to rise leisurely,
the child gripped my clothes harder.
"Hm? What?"
"......"
The child gazed up at me steadily.
Then tugged at my clothes repeatedly.
Stopped when I did.
Tugged again if I tried to stand.
I got that the child wanted something, but no words—just the same action over and over.
'...Tricky.'
The bookstore old man's words suddenly came to mind.
"Right now, the key is how you connect with the child."
"Someone as quiet as you needs to be extra careful. The child feels you through every little action."
Right.
Connect, he said.
But,
that sense of finding the answer was fleeting.
'...How do I do that?'
Nothing came to mind no matter how I thought.
A blank mind—felt like ages since last time.
I observed the child closely.
The small hand still clutching my clothes.
Pale green eyes trembling faintly.
'Ah, still anxious?'
Slowly, I sat back down.
The child's tension visibly eased.
'Good thing I'm here.'
The child's face seemed to say.
"Got it. I won't go."
"......!"
Only then did the child's expression brighten.
The child cautiously leaned against me.
A small shoulder touched my arm.
No words,
no laughter,
no tears.
Just that tiny movement.
But,
it was enough to tell.
This child was starting to trust me.
'...Is this connecting?'
I couldn't know the right answer.
But I didn't obsess over it like before.
This was fine as is.
That vague thought surfaced.
I gently placed a hand on the child's head.
Avoiding the bump,
stroking as carefully as possible.
"Ointment would be good, though."
"......"
The child shook their head.
Suddenly, the clinic memory flashed back.
The child bursting into tears, scared of treatment.
"Hate getting ointment?"
"......"
"No? Then why?"
The child stared at me intently.
Then clutched my sleeve with both hands.
"...Don't wanna be apart from me?"
"......!"
The child nodded.
The answer was quick and certain.
Eyes full of resolve and conviction, erasing prior hesitation.
"Yeah. That's why."
"......!"
I chuckled softly and stroked the child's head once more.
'Not bad.'
Not sure if it was connecting,
but reading the child's intentions was more fun than expected.
"Spend time with the child dearly. Watch closely, listen well, hug lots."
The bookstore owner definitely said to hug lots.
Maybe,
he meant for times like this?
Slowly, I spread my arms.
Careful not to scare the child.
Deliberately, cautiously.
"Can I hold you?"
The child looked startled, then quickly hugged me.
Arms around my waist,
small face pressed to my chest.
"Good. Let's apply the ointment like this. That work?"
"......"
The child nodded.
Lips curved up just a tiny bit.
I rummaged for the ointment packet again.
Scooped some on my finger,
and carefully applied it to the bump.
The child's body twitched a little,
but the arms around my waist tightened, enduring.
"Good job holding still."
"......"
"Well done. Legs next."
This needed disinfecting.
'Do disinfectants sting a lot here too?'
Just in case,
I handed the child a fruit before the disinfectant.
"They usually give food for this."
"......"
"So I'm trying it. No idea if it works."
The fruit in the child's hand shook slightly.
A moment later, as it went to the mouth cautiously, I pulled out the disinfectant.
"Might sting."
"......"
"If it hurts bad, grip my clothes tight."
The child nodded.
I applied the disinfectant
to the scraped, bruised knees and shins.
"...Eut."
The child's lips trembled.
Arms tensed,
small hands clutched my shirt tight.
Once dry, ointment, then powder on top.
"Held out great. Just the other side left."
"......"
"It's okay. Over quick."
Treatment done.
The child endured to the end.
That pluckiness made me
slowly brush back the sweat-damp hair.
"All done. You did amazing."
"......"
"Hurt a lot, huh?"
The child wiped tears and shook their head.
Come to think of it—
At the clinic, they gave treats after treatment.
Usually something sweet.
Wondering if that's why, but
nothing fitting came to mind.
'What now?'
Fruits were tangy, not sweet.
"...Hm, what to give as a reward."
"......?"
"Something sweet.... or was it.... something they like...."
The child burrowed deeper into my chest.
Grip tightening on my clothes.
"Hm?"
"......"
The child dug in even more.
'...Connecting.'
Wonder if I could read the intention again.
As I stared piercingly,
a rustling came from right beside us.
Looking over,
the rabbit was buried in the food bag, munching rabbit grass.
"...What."
Half the bundle already gone.
The rabbit, chomping leaves,
noticed my gaze, looked up blankly.
Then—
resumed munching nonchalantly.
"Feisty one."
"......?"
"It didn't see the roof collapse because..."
Suddenly—
the child shielding the rabbit while flattened came to mind.
"You protected it, so it didn't see."
"?"
"Good j— Uck!"
Again—
a wave of memory crashed in.
Same scene as before.
Same person.
Pink hair,
green-eyed woman standing before me.
'...Again.'
Seemed connected to the previous memory.
The woman leaned forward,
eyes shining as she explained why she became a knight.
And,
that reason was—
"You can lean on me more."
"I became a knight to protect you, Row!"
Truly simple, unbelievable reason.
"...Why?"
"Sounds tough."
Memory-peeking me and
past-me on the same timeline spoke together.
The woman blinked.
Then burst out laughing.
A happy look somewhere.
"Classic Row. Always worrying about me?"
"You always say worrying stuff."
"Ehehe."
She put hands on hips and stepped closer.
"It's fine, it's fine."
"Protecting what you want to protect—that's a knight, right!"
"You're most precious to me, so I'll definitely protect you."
"Don't worry. I can do it."
Laughter laced every word,
yet firm resolve feared nothing.
The woman approached without hesitation,
raised her lips high, winked one eye.
"I'm the world's greediest person!"
Thus declaring, the woman shone dazzlingly.