The Second Generation Head
Within the Jewel.
When I opened my eyes, I found myself sitting in my chair, with the conference room extending before me.
Where the Second once sat.
The chair had disappeared, and the door behind it was gone as well.
The First had left his sword to me.
And the Second, a silver bow.
In the room, there was only me and the Third. The other ancestors didn’t show their figures.
『… It sure looks like father’s bow. I don’t think it was this big? No, can you change its size? How interesting.』
Like that, he directed a smile at me, but I was unable to respond.
When I hung my head, he laughed.
『What? You’re still beating yourself up over it?』
I put my feelings to words, bit by bit.
“… I never gave a proper farewell. Even when I could use the Skill from the start.”
Could he have been angry?
Could he have felt fed-up?
That’s what I thought, but still with a smile on his face, the Third gave a cheerful tone.
『You’re reading too deep. He must have been happy in the end. I’m also thankful of you from my side. I mean, you let me see a scene of my brother being saved. I was happy.』
Raising his face, the Third stood from the table.
『I was the second son. As long as my diligent brother did his best, I thought it would be alright I did whatever I wanted. But I took it too far. On a rainy day, I went outside… using the bow he learned from father, he came to protect me.』
To a knight, a bow wasn’t a worthy weapon.
In the world of nobles and magic, a long distance attack, and spells, were one and the same.
Relying on any more would make others think one lacked power themselves.
“Third, what did you think of the Second?”
When I said that, he kept up his smile.
『A little nosy, perhaps? For me, he went as far as to prepare both a bride, and a plan to develop the land, and that’s because he thought I was unreliable myself.』
It seems he had some complicated feelings about it, but the Third added on a ‘but’.
『But even when my brother died because of me, he never blamed me for it. Even when it would have been better if my brother succeeded, he said it was all his fault… it’s because that man was a pessimist by nature. Ah, I ended up laughing when I heard he was the most plain. I mean, I saw him working so hard to build the base.』
Unpopular among the people, the weapon in his hand unbefitting a noble. Without even a proper evaluation given to him, he was the man simply stuck between the First and the Third.
“I’ll never forget the Second Generation Head.”
『Hahaha, if he transcended time to receive an assessment from his descendants, then I’m sure he’d be happy.』
My feelings became just a little bit lighter.
(… I’m sorry, Second. Causing you trouble to the end.)
While I apologized in my heart, my field of vision headed for a space slightly above the table.
I looked at the bow.
It glowed a silver color, and let out arrows of light. That bow quietly floated above the Second’s space.
A hunk of a sword for the First, and yet a bow for the Second…
It seems that the two of them weren’t even able to converse for a long while.
The weapons the two of them used existed as if to signify that relation.
“Was the reason the Second chose the bow a rebellion against the First?”
When I said that, the Third tilted his head.
And after understanding what it was I was trying to say, he burst into laughter.
『Nope. And even between father and child, we’re all still human. There’s nothing that perfect out there. They may have their complaints, and I’m sure there are things they didn’t like about one another. And that was particularly strong with the Second and our Founder. But you see…』
What the Third explained was the reason the Second chose the bow.
『Even when I chose the sword, father never said anything. I was sure he’d tell me to continue training with a bow, but he never pushed strongly for it. That’s why I ended up asking.』
“The Second did say you’d never do anything unnecessary.”
The Third nodded.
『I mean, it’d cut into my free time. I really don’t want to put in any unnecessary effort. Oh, right, the reason the Second chose a bow right? Apparently it was to follow behind the First.』
(Then why not a sword?)
Perhaps sensing my thoughts, the Third spoke.
『It sounds strange, right? But you see, he always wanted to stand beside him, and kept on failing… that’s why he wanted to support the First from behind. Perhaps he admired him?』
Swinging about that large blade of his, butchering up monsters, the first surely was cool.
His way of life that cut open the path to the Walt house with nothing but his sword was, while something riddled with problems, something that drew people to him.
The Third spoke.
『The end was a little dubious, but he said what he wanted, and got to see a boy that resembled his son be saved. Don’t you think it all worked out, looking at the result?』
Being asked that, my chest began to hurt.
I did have some apologetic sentiment.
If I had been a little more reliable…
If I had dealt the final blow myself…
Marcus-san and the other’s faces played back in my head.
The Third called out to me.
『Lyle, do you hate Marcus and the other men?』
I checked through my own feelings. Even when I thought hard about it, I could only think up a childish rationale.
“… I hate them. But it was also my responsibility. I have no idea what to do.”
『Then just hating them is fine. Of all else, from our side, the side of those that use others, they’re nothing but trouble. It’s because they can’t even properly do a job that’s been left to them. Trying to get a promotion like that really is laughable.』
The Third’s expression became serious.
『They’re the type the Second hates. I’m sure that if he were here, he’d shout at them even if he knew they couldn’t hear it. When you think of it like that, that female knight Norma sure is excellent. If she found a nice superior to follow, I’m sure she’d have become a fine knight.』
I asked the Third how I should go about dealing with them.
“So what should I do?”
『About their treatment? In that case…』
I decided to adopt up the Third’s proposition.
–
–
–
… Novem confirmed Norma’s report.
By Porter’s side, she had revised it several times. Around them, collecting materials from the monsters, and treating the injured was getting quite hectic.
Repairing the walls was also necessary, and as a punishment for ignoring orders, Marcus, Breid, and the others were assigned to assist with that task.
Novem let out a sigh.
“It’s no good. Why does your name pop up so many times it seems like overkill? When one would think you were at the eastern front, you’re suddenly giving out orders up north. Also, the number of monsters defeated here is wrong.”
Hearing that, Norma objected.
“If I don’t do this much, I won’t stand out!”
Novem gave a clear-cut answer.
“This report has absolutely no credibility. If you don’t write something they’ll be satisfied with, you’ll be labelled a fraud.”
“B-but…”
The role of the commander wasn’t to fight at the scene.
Even when she knew that, Norma took to sticking in her own service all over the document.
Resting with a bandage around his head, Clark sighed as he tried persuading her.
“Captain, defeating the Gryphon is undoubtedly an indisputable achievement. Also, the village was protected with minimal casualties… this may not be the best way to put it, but three deaths is ridiculously low. There’s no doubt that you’re going to get promoted.”
According to the man, if she wasn’t promoted for defeating a Gryphon, there would be problems for the imperial side.
Because henceforth, if they would no longer expect a reward for defeating such beasts, the knights and soldiers would experience quite a large drop in motivation.
Having achieved quite a visible result, Norma would surely rise up.
No, if she didn’t the future criterion would become a mess, or so he explained.
And Clark looked at Novem.
“I think it’s fine if you plan to sell the monster corpses to replenish the five hundred gold coins expended, but even if the Gryphon was in a good state, I doubt you’d get such a sum, you know?”
It was about the money scattered around in this time’s monster subjugation, but having knights and soldiers accept it wasn’t that good for reputation.
The fact that commanding authority was transferred was also a problem.
The money itself was spread in the middle of a town, so it wasn’t something that could be concealed, even if they tried.
That’s why, on paper, Norma’s troops borrowed money from Lyle, and paid back their debts with the corpses of the Gryphon and Hippogryphs.
Novem hadn’t asked too much into the circumstances surrounding that field, but it was something Lyle did, so there was no helping it.
“Well, it’s Lyle-sama’s orders. Now, Norma-san, you have to write a report covering everyone’s efforts.”
Of the work of her subordinates that numbered over a hundred, and of how hard those deceased had battled on. Norma had to continue churning out reports.
Clark wasn’t in a position to write them, so Norma had to do it under Novem’s tight surveillance.
She had completed the preliminary stages of healing, so as she was quite familiar with documents, Novem was chosen as inspector.
Norma continued grumbling out complaints.
“All of them… those five are unnecessary, right? They didn’t finish off a wounded Hippogryph, you know. A critical miss. I think it’s something to merit a demotion, honestly.”
Norma’s own promotion was riding on this, so it wasn’t strange for her to try ending up as the sole winner.
For that sake, close to her…
“Look, just write it already. Otherwise, I’ll make sure to properly report it to father. Of just how hard you were working.”
A grinning Shannon was sitting right before her.
While sipping on a drink, she seemed to be having fun staring at Norma’s dejection.
“… I never heard that a daughter of the Circry House would be here!”
“That’s because we never told you. By the way, she also has an elder sister here, so if you don’t uphold your promise, you’re sure to face retribution.”
On Novem’s threat, Norma confronted the paperwork once more.
Her hands were stained in ink, and the miswritten documents were building up quite impressively.
“I just have to do it, right!? Right!”
While letting out an irritated cry, Norma wrote on.
Seeing that, Novem gave out orders.
“Don’t write down your own name! You were commanding from the center station, so why are you suddenly giving oh-so-precise instruction at the north gate!? Get it together!”
Seeing just how often her reports were likely ridden with lies, Clark began to feel a different pain in his head besides the injury he had suffered to it…
–
–
–
I watched Luka aim at the target, and fire his arrow.
He was pulling it back with all his strength, and sweat was pouring down his brow.
That form of his somewhat overlapped with the scene of the Second’s memory.
When the arrow hit the mark, Luka burst into joy.
“I did it! With this, I wonder if I’ll ever be like Lyle-sama!”
Having seen me defeat the Hippogryph with the silver bow, Luka seriously took up learning the bow in order to be like me.
It’s been two days since the Gryphon fell, but I left the work to Novem, and the rest of my party, devoting myself to Luka’s instruction.
“You’ll surpass someone like me in no time at all. This isn’t even my specialty… but that’s a nice arm you’ve got there.”
When I praised him, he was overjoyed.
Nearby, Clara prepared some books with her Skill.
“Lyle-san, I’ve finished making them.”
What Clara was holding were copied books.
She had committed some books aimed at children on the three Rs to memory, so I had her reproduce them.
Since we had been in Luka’s family’s care, the paper and ink were something we prepared ourselves, and handed over.
“T-there are this many?”
Luka looked at Clara with a slightly tedious expression.
I’ll bet he’s poor at studying, but I told him that he had to if he wanted to turn out like me.
Clara smiled as she spoke.
“The letters are large print, and quite easy to read. There are even illustrations, so I think you’ll have no trouble understanding it. Perhaps it’s a good idea to get the assistance of someone who can read.”
He was about to return the bow to me to take up the books, but I spoke.
“You can have that one.”
“Eh? But…”
With a replaced string, I handed over the bow to him with my remaining arrows.
I get the feeling that would have made the Second happier.
“I already have a bow of my own. And that one’s a little small for me, so I’ll let you use it.”
“Yeah!”
Seeing him hold up the bow in joy, Clara laughed.
And I tried asking something that had been bugging me.
“Clara, how long will it take for those books to disappear?”
There, Clara responded with a full-on smile.
“… Lyle-san, there are some things in this world best left unknown. Now let’s just say that someone knew how to make a copied book last for eternity. Wouldn’t there be quite a few troubled by that?”
Hearing that, I was surprised that a way existed for a Skill-copied book to never vanish.
From the Jewel, the Third let out his voice.
『… Oh my, this girl is just getting cuter and cuter.』
To the book-loving Third, Clara must truly be his ideal woman.
And she laughed, saying it was a lie.
“So it’s not possible?”
“No it’s not, or more so, a copied book will disappear once the one who used the Skill dies. For example… if an important document was placed under the charge of such a Skill holder and they disappeared, wouldn’t that just be terrible? And this Skill is generally one that only emerges in book-lovers. If its use leads to a bad future for the book, I think a majority would never wish for it.”
In this case, it doesn’t seem there were any problems on Clara’s side.
The Skill wasn’t omnipotent or anything.
“… So those that manage to master it are strong…”
When I muttered the words the Second told me once before, Clara tilted her head.
While looking at Luka joyously holding up his bow, I spoke.
“No, it’s nothing.”
Thanks yorai~
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Clara gets her little moment to shine in Lyle’s eyes, and Norma receives her just punishment for loafing about: ADMINISTRATIVE REPORTS.
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It feels like Norma was being forced to write essay…
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Over a hundred people worth essay~
Lol.. just one people worth was making meatbun head ache.. imagine how much time and head ache she will have 😈
Muahahaha..
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Meatbun I wish you a happy new year.
This year why don’t you add vegetables to your diet, you’ll like it but I hate a veggie bun so always eat your meat .
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You said you hate a veggie bun, but you told me to eat veggies.. you hate meatbun too dont you.. 😢 uguu.. *dejected*…😟
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No! No!! No!!! I meant I hate an all veggie bun meat bun is awesome I can’t hate him look at his cute cheeks, but if Meatbun doesn’t eat veggies he might be unable to jump and give a cute smile🍏🍎🍐🍊🍋🍌🍉🍇🍓🍈🍒🍑🍍🍅🍆🌶🌽 A burger will be good🍔
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More than that, she seems to be the type who doesnt like paperwork. She does it to add credit to her name, but her personality doesnt seem the type who like or do it competently.
So you can imagine how much trouble she’s currently having~ Mwahahahaha~ That credit sure isnt cheap to get.
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Let’s see how Lyle reacts to Marcus and the others.
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Thank you for the chapter Yoraikun~
And Happy New Year~
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No magnificent lyle this time . . . your exp. so low gyphon . . .
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Yeah, I thought we would see Mr. Lyle again…
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To be fair Gryphon does seem to be weaker than 40th floor boss in the previous arc and lyle needs even more exp now, so it makes sense he didn’t grow now (also having 2 power ups at the same time is generally not a good for story telling).
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But . . . Magnificent Lyle!!! Magnificent Lyle sama!!!
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Thanks! Nepu!!
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He’s baaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaack !!!
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Thank you for double chapters, ssu~
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Hmm if 3rd has a sword most likely its a one handed one but i still wonder what actual type of sword it is the 1st seemed like either a great sword or a large clay more
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If it’s the Third, there’s no way it’s a normal sword. The First’s is pretty much the Dragonslayer.
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Claymore? Yoma slayer?
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Plot twist the first is Guts
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You get the First’s entire story, so yeah… that’s not happening…
In other news, that hunk of iron did, in fact, manage to slay a dragon.
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the weapons might look like the former generations but it looks like its a copied version it seems there something like the weapon copy function of tate no yuusha huh also the 1st gen is a dragonslayer but these sort are always seen vaguely i mean there are still people mistaking wyverns for dragons
another thing since the bow is basicaly a like that a bow which fires off magic arrows wonder if he can imbue various types of magic in those arrows like lighting and the such
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I feel like the last chapter was written differently than usual, this chapter went back to normal though. It was interesting to get an in-depth look on Lyle’s emotions though, sometimes he’s so nonchalant about everything he’s hard to read into
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Thanks for the chapter yorai
So that shithead Marcus & Co still got achievement?
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What, you want to follow them out to a 2nd battlefield to get their “achievement” again? :) Just give them an average report and tell them to FO.
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Thanks for the chapt~
No Mr.Lyle?
~(•w•)~
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Thanks for the new chapter!
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Thanks for the chapter!
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Thanks 4 the chapter!
Writing a CREDIBLE false report is harder then writing a true one.
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If Celes ends up killing Luka as well, I’ll hate her for life. Killing the adventurers were too much already
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Why would she be all the way in a tiny back-water village?
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Thank for the update
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I knew it, its not like Lyle cannot use 2nd’s skill, he refuses to use it since 2nd will disappear after that just like the 1st.
The author did a good job making me sob a little reading that part lol.
Thanks Yoraikun for translating and bringing these nice Japanese novels.
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Worst part is he could of used it on the first try, but refused and decided it was better that they were angry with him instead of losing them.
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And Norma thought she could have it easy. Thanks for the chapter.
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Yay 2 chapters in the start of 2016!thx Yoraikun!
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Thanks for the chapter.
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Can we hace a ToC pls.. i want to read this. but w/o ToC… i just cant.. :(
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look here https://yoraikun.wordpress.com/7s-chapters/
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Yoraikun happy new year and thanks for the chapter
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another feels at the start of the chapter ;_;
Thanks for the Chapter.
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Parting is always a sad thing whoever the person involve since humans are creatures who seek companionship and affection of others. The important is you should be able to look forward/walk to your chosen path while always remembering their teachings, virtues and affections they have left to you… Well its getting heavy here in my chest so i’ll excuse myself here…. Thank you for the chapter~ *Btw i cried during Lyle’s parting with First Gen so hopefully i won’t this time…. If youre a man you then should’ve understand the pain of parting with your teacher/master that guided your growth as a man.
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Sad to see the 2nd didn’t manage to see Lyle (Perfect form) for the last time.
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Tis but a goodbye Second !
The third is next then…
Thx for the chap and happy nou yir Yoraikun !
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oh nooo…..
second, I’ll missed you….
well the punishment for those five it’s too light I think. but it will be Ok.
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thanks yoyo-chii :3
And happy new year
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Thanks for the new chapter!
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Happy new year Yoraikun!
I don’t think the ancestors so much disappear as they merge with Lyle. I.e., to quote Lion King 2, “He lives in you, Lyle”. Evidence is how Shannon can see the glowing dot within Lyle. Now, she’ll see two glowing dots in Lyle. Now, if only she were to tell him about this…
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I’d like to ask about the change of title about the 8th gen’s arc, did he f*ck up that much that his arc’s name is changing ? Or did you do it on a whim lol ?
He already fucked up expelling Lyle I guess..
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Happy New Year!
Thanks for update!
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Thanks for the chapter
I have to ask, if the story of TLK has finished or it s ongoing?
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Likely ongoing
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Thank u always for ur great work…
^^…
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Thanks for the translations as always~
Edits/suggestions:
“No, can you change it’s size”
“it’s” -> “its”
“About they’re treatment”
“they’re” -> “their”
“He was pulling it back with all his strength, and swat was pouring down his brow.”
“swat” -> “sweat”
“Hearing that, I was surprised that a way existed for a Skill-copied bok to never vanish.”
“bok” -> “book”
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Thanks for the chapter!!
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Yep they definitly should get demoted, but hm.
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I’m feeling blue for the Second, but kinda happy at the same time. Like the Third said, at least he got to see the likeness of his son being saved and he got to spend time with Lyle and see more of the world and the fate of his house; even meeting his father and son again.
Norma’s punishment for being a lazy leech is fitting and quite satisfying, surprisingly, but I really hope the dudes get something worse than repairing a wall. At least that fucking inBreid.
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