Chapter 83

I’ll translate the provided text into English while maintaining a first-person perspective and adhering to your instructions not to include any commentary. Here is the translation:

—

It was like this; after such a long time, the banter between me and Elshimer continued in a teasing direction.

Not holding back would have been too passive. Soon after meeting again, I had shown Catherine some rational interest, which was discovered.

Originally, friends shouldn’t tear each other apart when they show their weak sides, but teasing a bit should be okay, right?

Given that we had greeted each other by exchanging punches instead of words, this level of interaction felt almost gentlemanly.

Every time I teased Elshimer, his face turned as red as charcoal, as if he had swallowed burning coals.

He often blushed when angry or embarrassed, but seeing him unable to contain his embarrassment and showing it so clearly on his face made the teasing even more enjoyable, so I tried to tease him even more, but…

“…But.”

Elshimer’s voice, squeezed out from being beaten with words, finally came out of his mouth, stopping the ongoing verbal assault.

Even though he couldn’t gather his wits from being relentlessly hit, the words he managed to squeeze out were just hints at changing the subject.

Ignoring it and continuing to talk could have been a good way to ease tensions, but…

“What is it?”

Considering how much that bear-like guy would curse me behind my back, I pretended to reluctantly listen to what he had to say.

“The young master…”

Taking a deep breath, Elshimer, whose already low voice became even lower, mentioned Asulin.

“It feels like I saw someone like you in Blood Haven before.”

He seemed to imply he had met her in Blood Haven.

…I didn’t quite understand what he meant, so I involuntarily tilted my head.

What? Asulin? In an alleyway? What does he mean?

Before I could scold him and give him a tap on the head, he added,

“Not exactly that I saw someone exactly like the young master, but rather someone who had a similar aura.”

Before I could let out a harsh word, Elshimer clarified his statement, so I didn’t end up hitting him on the head.

“A similar aura…”

Since our movements in Blood Haven were almost identical, there was no way I wouldn’t remember someone he remembered.

“Isn’t it possible you’re misremembering? If Asulin has that kind of presence, it wouldn’t be hidden even with magic disguises. I don’t think I’ve ever felt that kind of presence when I was younger.”

I teased him lightly, suggesting he might be mistaken, but…

This bear-like guy showed his stubbornness, rejecting my theory outright.

“No, it was similar. Just different in gender…”

He said it with a tone that sounded absurd.

*Sigh*

I barely suppressed a sigh, but managing my expression was difficult, so I simply closed my eyes and shook my head slightly.

It was a clear gesture of negation.

This guy, I thought he had at least gained some wisdom since becoming a knight, but I never expected him to speak about such fantasies he hadn’t mentioned before.

“…Just saying it felt that way. Why do you look so displeased, as if you heard something unreasonable?”

Seeing my deteriorating expression, Elshimer sensed danger and desperately tried to defend himself, but there was no need to manage my expression for such an unconvincing statement.

Not long ago, I saw Claudia, who skillfully used transformation magic to disguise herself as a gender-neutral appearance. But I was confident that transformation magic that changes gender hadn’t been invented yet.

“To understand, I need to hear reasonable words. Should I nod my head in agreement to nonsense?”

So, with a slightly cold voice, I emphasized how unconvincing his words were.

“…If you say so. I can’t argue, but…”

Under my pressure, Elshimer admitted that his words lacked credibility.

Since we started walking the streets together, whenever we talked and ended up with nonsense, we would respond with force. That was our rule.

“It’s good you admit it quickly. So, accept this as a consequence of your nonsense.”

As I finished speaking, I swung my hand sharply towards his head, aiming to lightly strike it.

Even without infusing hostility, my strike was powerful enough to break ordinary things, but given how sturdy he was like a bear, it would only sting slightly, so I wasn’t too worried.

“…Oops!”

Though I wasn’t worried, Elshimer immediately raised both arms to protect his head as soon as he saw my hand swinging.

It was a fine defensive move for a knight trained to react proactively to threats, but unfortunately, his movements, though fast for his size, were still slow compared to my standards. Blocking my swift strike was impossible.

The result was…

*Smack!*

The sound of my hand striking his head, and

“Ugh!!”

Elshimer’s cry echoed through the reception room.

Back then, this might have triggered a friendly brawl, but…

“Even so…”

Instead of getting angry, he showed mild resentment, rubbing his head where my hand had brushed past, trying to soothe the pain.

Though he spoke, he understood how unreasonable his words were, so he reacted seriously to my playful violence, rather than taking it personally.

If the situation were reversed, I would have shown the same reaction.

“You’ve been training hard even in my absence. If it were before, everything would have been over before your hands could rise.”

Thus, amidst tapping my hand that struck Elshimer’s head, I could compliment his improved skills.

…While it was strange that my hand felt stiff after hitting his head, it hadn’t felt this painful before.

How did he train his body so well in such a short time?

“About what I said earlier, even if it was a wild imagination, it’s best for the young master to be careful.”

Elshimer’s serious voice replaced my curiosity.

“Be careful about what?”

“What else? Don’t let the young master’s true identity be revealed to the junior duke.”

Facing Elshimer’s response, I couldn’t help but make a complex expression.

Little did he seem, he was sharp-eyed.

“Honestly, even if the true identity is revealed, the second young master is undeniably a direct descendant of the Failord Count Family, so it’s not a serious matter. But if the junior duke thinks the young master’s true identity is a twin sibling, it gets complicated. If it comes to it, it might be better to reveal it openly. It’s not like we’ll die over it.”

Seeing my changed expression, Elshimer, despite having a sore head, looked excited rather than pained.

“I might reveal it someday, but I plan to calmly tell everyone when the time comes.”

Facing this guy, I calmly conveyed my intentions.

Even though I was acknowledged as the inheritor of the sword through lineage once I was chosen by the Failord, it was no longer worth discussing whether I was part of the Failord.

However, I still felt like a shadow that couldn’t replace everything about my deceased elder brother.

Originally, I hadn’t planned to reveal my identity until after deepening my relationship with Asulin, but…

The sequence got messed up because of our passionate night a few days ago.

Should I hide it? Hiding it makes me feel guilty, as if I’m deceiving her.

But declaring it blindly would feel like revealing my identity cowardly after our relationship deepened.

…Who could blame me? It was all due to my own negligence.

“Before revealing it, be careful not to get caught. Even if it was just a brief glimpse, you seem like someone with excellent intuition, like me or the young master.”

Despite my complex thoughts, Elshimer didn’t show them on his face and offered advice.

“Be careful. Be careful, indeed.”

I responded calmly, trying not to reveal my complex emotions, though I couldn’t completely hide my feelings, making my words trail off.

“Anyway, that’s all I have to tell you on behalf of the family.”

Fortunately, Elshimer didn’t notice the trailing off of my words and ended with a concern about the family, asking,

“By the way, now that I’m a bodyguard, shouldn’t there be a grand welcoming ceremony?”

“…Welcoming ceremony?”

“Even though I look like this, someone who served as a vice commander of the Black Wing Knights now serving under the Caladborg Dukedom deserves a proper welcoming ceremony. Ideally, I’d like to receive a drink from Lady Katarina expressing her welcome…”

*Smack!*

Another nonsensical comment ruined the mood.

Although he had become more mature since becoming a knight, he still made inappropriate remarks that earned him punishment.

It was odd, but seeing this unchanging aspect was somewhat comforting.

*Knock knock!*

“May I come in?”

As our conversation was nearing its end, the polite knocking sound and Catherine’s voice announced her presence.

“Oh, come in.”

Having become somewhat close, my reply was casual.

Catherine entered without making a sound, and her voice came,

“Sir Junior Duke has arranged a modest gathering to welcome Elshimer, who has joined the Guangyi Knight Corps as a temporary member. He wants to hold it during tonight’s dinner. What do you think?”

The question about Elshimer’s welcoming ceremony almost slipped out before I could stop it.

“…It’s good that this guy is fussing about not having a welcoming ceremony for a valuable guest. It won’t hurt to go easy. Anyway, tell Asulin to wait here for a little longer and then head to the dining hall.”

Suppressing my daze, I told Catherine not to prepare excessively and ended the conversation, sending her off with a polite bow.

Avoiding Elshimer’s bear-like gaze, I said,

“Tell her to ask for a date instead of just looking.”

“…”

Looking at Elshimer, who, unlike before, lowered his head and scratched the back of his neck, a faint sigh escaped naturally.

—

This translation aims to maintain the original tone and narrative style while adapting it into a first-person perspective.