Chapter 65
Chapter 65
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 65
Chapter Title: The Barbarian Warrior's Volunteer Work (5)
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No joke—wherever that barbarian Valian went, he left women in his wake.
A city, some remote mountain village, or even a quick stop at an inn.
Adding up all the women he'd shared passionate nights with, it had to be over seventy, easy.
Some people go a lifetime without meeting even one woman, and here this guy had seventy...!
It wasn't an exaggeration to say he was obsessed with women.
And to top it off, many of those women had husbands or lovers—which was why calling him trash wasn't unfair.
That said, Valian had one rebuttal.
—Just one correction. I had no idea they had lovers. We just met, that's all. We were drawn to each other, nothing more.
Is loving someone a crime?
...This line alone cemented his reputation as the kingdom's top sleazeball.
Anyway, with that many women, it was only natural some would end up pregnant with his child.
The funny part? Every single one of them had skipped contraception spells or potions.
Or maybe they'd decided to have the kid from the start?
So after the great war ended, when Valian went looking for his old flames... sure enough!
—It's your child, Valian.
—Heh, doesn't he look just like you? So adorable.
—Triplets. Aren't they precious?
—Uh...
Was it karma from his past, or just proof of his insane stamina...?
Two-thirds of the women he'd been with had kids—and the oldest was already over five years old.
Over the next year or so, Valian tracked down his children, providing financial support to their mothers or fulfilling whatever they asked for.
Some wanted cash, others memories or love. The requests varied, but Valian handled them smoothly, negotiating like a pro.
One condition came up from nearly every woman, though.
—Don't let them know you're their father.
Valian was a war hero and Hero Party member, sure—but he was a barbarian.
Heir to the largest mercenary tribe in the nation, always one step from war with the kingdom.
If word got out his kids were his, assassination attempts wouldn't be surprising at all!
So Valian agreed not to meet them, settling for glimpses from afar.
The pain hit harder than flesh tearing or bones breaking.
He couldn't even hold his own children...!
What a tragedy!
And then he got branded a criminal and chased out of the kingdom, making meetings impossible.
Fleeing to Luke's world sealed the deal—no more chances with his kids.
Valian never said it, but the whole mess left him heartbroken and forlorn.
Luckily, learning this world's ways kept him busy enough to dull the ache a bit. Memories of his children settled as bittersweet nostalgia in his chest.
But then...!
—Whoa, mister, you're huge!
—What do you eat to get that big?
—Where are you from, mister?
...
What he'd thought was "cherished in his heart" was really just buried deep. Meeting these kids made it clear.
Lively children he met while spacing out at the playground.
He couldn't pinpoint when or how it started.
One day, they were just friends. Hanging out with his little pals felt great, nothing more.
Maybe he was channeling his longing for his own kids through them.
He knew it was cowardly and sneaky, but without this, grief might have swallowed him whole.
So he wrapped it up as "just friends," projecting his kids onto them. The children smiled brightly, oblivious, playing along.
Guilt over that, perhaps?
—Don't you want anything?
—Something I want? Hmm... Ah! I hope the director eats more.
—Yeah! She always diets and barely eats. She's already so skinny...
—Is that so...
After hearing their story, Valian hustled odd jobs from then on.
High-paying gigs that used his brute strength.
And secretly donated to their orphanage.
Strictly anonymous.
—I wouldn't want handouts from a friend.
Charity from a pal? How humiliating.
Kids or not, no one likes pity.
That's why he kept it all under wraps.
Selfish satisfaction? Hypocrisy? Maybe.
Still, Valian hoped those kids got a better shot at life, even if it was hypocritical.
"Even if they're not mine, just watching them grow gave me the strength to keep going."
"......"
"I know. It might be selfish. But if I could say one thing—"
"No, stop. You don't need to say more."
"Hm?"
"No point dragging it out and making you look like more trash, idiot. Just drop it."
"...??"
Only then did Valian notice.
Leon, red-faced and slumped over. Sylvia kicking the floor...
How to put it...?
'Why are they so embarrassed?'
Valian just stared, puzzled, as they squirmed in shame.
Why were they acting like that?
The revelation that Valian had dozens of kids wasn't all that shocking.
Count the women he'd slept with—over fifty easy. A handful of kids from that? No big deal.
Just the usual trash behavior from the usual trash guy.
They'd all parted amicably, so outsiders like them had no room to complain—meddling would cross the line.
Plus, donating out of longing for his own kids? Worthy of praise.
Valian called it hypocrisy or deceit, but anyone could see how positive it was for those children.
No grounds to trash him at all.
If anything...
"You're the bad guys for doubting and judging him."
"...L-Luke, you did it too..."
"Me? I just overheard Aram's report by chance. Never openly suspected or pried like you lot—?"
"W-Well, yeah, but..."
"Pathetic. Shut it."
"......"
Neck snapped. K.O.
What more needed saying...?
"...Sorry, Valian. Shouldn't have doubted you."
"Me too..."
"Tch, if you hadn't given us reason to suspect..."
The one snobby bitch kept griping, but everyone knew it was her way of apologizing—their bonds ran deeper than that.
"Hah..."
Valian, the one getting apologies, was stunned.
The day these personality-wrecked witches—who barely qualified as women—apologized to him...!
"...Life really is unpredictable. Wise words."
He muttered, reeling from shock, surprise, and terror rivaling his first glimpse of modern tech. A strange pride swelled too.
'Guess I wasn't wrong after all.'
If even these wrecks apologized, it proved he was in the right.
Valian smiled contentedly.
Meanwhile, the last personality wreck.
In other words...
"I-I'm trash...! Sob!"
The blond hero wallowed in self-loathing despair.
He, who'd preached standing with the weak and leading by serving—for twenty years!
Yet since crossing worlds, he'd never volunteered once!
Realizing that crushed him—not even a knight, let alone a hero.
Thud.
"...Hm?"
"......"
"Y-You...?"
It wasn't the goddess or Sylvia approaching his kneeling form.
The petite mage girl, Luxy.
"It's fine."
"L-Luxy...! Are you... comforting me? You?"
Leon gaped. Luxy, of all people, consoling him?
'...Right, she never said it, but she saw me as a comrade!'
Like a child's first "daddy"—pure emotion.
Leon beamed, ready to express his gratitude...
"Everyone knows you're trash, including us. So don't despair over the obvious. I don't wanna see it anymore."
"......"
"And stop messing up the floor. My asthma's acting up."
"......"
"Got it?"
"......"
Leon's eyes filled with despair.
"Demon...?"
"Yeah?"
"...Never mind."
Luxy landed the finishing blow and sauntered off.