I Will Try to Save My Dad - Chapter 44

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 44

“So no one is going to help? Not the lord, not the one who caused this mess?”
Anne planted her hands firmly on her hips and huffed with indignation.
‘That’s the spirit, Anne!’
I cheered for her silently. Father gestured for Anne to calm down.
“Anne, you’re getting worked up.”
“Reytan! Do you have any idea how strong the Wild Dog Tribe is? When they swarm in packs, the villagers don’t stand a chance—that’s just how powerful beast-kin are!”
“I know.”
“My adoptive father was from the Wolf Tribe, you see? Ten knights couldn’t defeat him!”
“That’s right! My dad was so strong!”
Jeffrey chimed in to support Anne. So Jeffrey’s father had been from the Wolf Tribe.
“But humans killed my dad!”
“Shh, shush! Jeffrey, this isn’t the time for that.”
“Oh, r-right?”
“Anyway, the Wild Dog Tribe is absolutely something the villagers can’t handle on their own!”
Anne had commandeered the entire conversation. We all watched as she strode to the center of the parlor.
“So what are you suggesting? That you’ll fight them yourself?”
Countess Trabel asked Anne bluntly. Though her tone seemed harsh, it was pragmatic—Anne’s anger wouldn’t solve anything.
“No. Reytan will help us!”
“…Me?”
Finally, Anne had broached the subject. The conversation was flowing in the direction we needed.
“Oh! Father’s going to help?”
“Berry, wait a moment.”
Father held up his index finger to me—a signal to stay quiet. Baron Voltman spoke.
“I wouldn’t advise it. You’d be better off staying out of this. Do you understand how sensitive inter-species matters are? If the Inter-species Rights Organization learns that you, the former Grand Master who has since returned, engaged with displaced beast-kin, they won’t let it slide.”
He had a point.
From the moment Marquis Ash had interfered with the Wild Dog Tribe’s settlement, this incident had become a delicate matter that could escalate into a human versus beast-kin conflict.
With all eyes on Father lately, I couldn’t even imagine how gleefully the journalists would seize upon gossip about the Trabel Family.
Those unfamiliar with the details would hear something like “the second son of Count Trabel attacked defenseless beast-kin in violation of imperial law”—a narrative that made my stomach turn.
‘But that part is manageable. I can ask Countess Trabel to handle it.’
Though I’d have to issue her a lifetime supply of free massage vouchers in exchange…!
That was when it happened.
Anne’s petulant voice cut through the air.
“Baron Voltman, what do you take our Reytan for, saying such things?”
What do you take him for…?
I turned my gaze toward Anne. She still had her hands on her hips, her posture rigid and unyielding.
Baron Voltman asked a question.
“What do you mean by that?”
“Reytan simply cannot abide injustice!”
“Cough.”
Countess Trabel seemed startled and broke into a coughing fit. My jaw dropped as well.
‘Things are unfolding exactly as I hoped, but….’
Father cannot tolerate injustice?
Wait? Anne?
“That’s right.”
“Of course!”
Theon nodded in agreement, and Jeffrey shouted enthusiastically as well.
“…What exactly have you been doing all this time…?”
Countess Trabel regarded Father with an expression of utter bewilderment. Father seemed equally convinced that this situation made no sense.
I remained flustered as well, yet considering Father’s actions over this time, it somehow made sense.
He had taken Theon as his disciple, saved Anne. Even Theon knew that the medicine given to Jeffrey was something Father had secretly instructed me to do.
And Jeffrey regarded Father as his benefactor, for Father had cleared his sister’s name and taken her in.
Theon, Anne, and Jeffrey all gazed at Father with unwavering trust.
Now even Baron and Baroness Voltman looked toward Father. They seemed to think this was unwise, yet hope glimmered faintly in their eyes.
“….”
There was no helping it.
I felt sorry for Father, but for the sake of Leaf Village, I had no choice but to ride this wave.
“Wow! Father is going to help?!”
I gazed at him with sparkling, hopeful eyes. With all attention fixed upon him, Father finally raised his hand in surrender.
“…Yes….”
Tsk tsk. Countess Trabel clicked her tongue.

***

The next day.
After breakfast, Father left with Baron Voltman to meet with the village youths.
Marshall said she had business at the bank and would visit the nearby commercial district.
Those of us remaining at the Log House were the Baroness, Anne, Jeffrey, Theon, and myself.
“I’ll do a thorough cleaning today! Now that we have young hands here, put us to work!”
“How dependable. Thanks to you bringing Anne along, Reytan, I’m living quite comfortably.”
Anne rolled up her sleeves, offering to tackle the cleaning tasks the Baroness had been too strained to manage. The Baroness said she would help as well.
Theon and I had plans of our own.
Theon changed into his training clothes, while I finished preparing for our outing in the one-piece dress Anne had given me, topped with a sun hat.
The Baroness came to the entrance to see us off.
“Then I’ll be heading to training.”
“I’m going with Theon! Father said I should stay by Theon’s side!”
“My goodness.”
The Baroness covered her mouth with one hand at my words. Theon spoke up hastily.
“Grandmother.”
“Yes, Grandmother said nothing.”
The Baroness chuckled warmly. Anne hurried in from the kitchen with a small basket.
“Oh, Miss Berry! Here are the snacks you requested and the cloth for laying on the ground. But are you sure it’s alright if I don’t come along?”
“It’s fine~ Theon said you can see Baron Voltman’s house right from the Hilltop! Father said it was okay too, and you’re busy, so don’t worry about it.”
“I want to go too!”
Thud-thud-thud.
Jeffrey came running to the entrance. He had just been scolded by Anne moments before.
Anne snatched Jeffrey’s arm as he dashed past her.
“Where do you think you’re going? Nothing’s free in this world. You have to earn your keep. Take this.”
Jeffrey’s task for today was helping with the major cleaning.
Jeffrey, clutching the cleaning cloth Anne had given him, looked at Theon and me with pitiful eyes.
“Berry, Theon…”
“See you later.”
“Hang in there, Jeffrey! Let’s have lunch together later!”
“Okay…”

***

Just as Theon said, from atop the hilltop, Baron Voltman’s log house came into full view.
Theon mentioned he always trained his swordsmanship here, beneath the sprawling oak tree.
Theon settled before a large boulder with practiced ease. An hour had already slipped by since he began his solitary training.
Meanwhile, I spread a picnic mat beneath the oak’s shade and sat contemplating what lay ahead.
‘At first, I thought all Father needed to do was defeat the Wild Dog Tribe….’
There was the matter of Marquis Ash claiming to possess land documents, which made the Wild Dog Tribe who touched the settlement indigenous inhabitants. Then there was the lord whose coffers had grown fat.
There were more than one or two things weighing on my mind.
‘The enemy isn’t just the Wild Dog Tribe.’
Even if the Wild Dog Tribe couldn’t attack Leaf Village, other problems remained.
“Something feels off.”
“What is?”
Theon walked over and answered. I lifted my head, and in that instant, I was startled. His handsome face was right before mine.
“Oh?”
“Ah, sorry. I was just reaching for the towel.”
He’d been trying to grab the towel beside where I sat. Once Theon retrieved it, he straightened his posture.
My gaze followed the contour of Theon’s sweat-dampened profile without my realizing it.
‘Wow. Perfected beauty since childhood.’
Those cool, piercing eyes, long lashes that fluttered like butterfly wings with each blink, cheeks and lips flushed with exertion from training.
Even that sharp jawline. This was—
‘Magazine-worthy angles…!’
I felt the urge to fetch a protractor and measure the exact angle of Theon’s jaw.
If I later produced and sold a photo collection of the Crown Prince, wouldn’t a gold bed be within reach? If that happened, I’d have to give Theon double my share. After all, he’d be the entire model for the collection.
“Taking a break?”
“Yes.”
“Your sword?”
“Over there.”
Theon gestured behind him. His sword leaned against the oak tree just beyond the picnic mat.
“It’s dangerous if you get too close.”
“Understood.”
He sounds just like Father. Hehe.
Theon, having left his sword at a safe distance, sat beside me. A gentle breeze drifted past, tickling my skin.
“I’ve been thinking about something, Theon?”
“What?”
“If we fight the Wild Dog Tribe and win, will everything be over?”
I came here with the goal of protecting Baron Voltman’s arms, but something still felt unsettled.
Even if Father defeated the Wild Dog Tribe, the problems would remain.
“Marquis Ash’s land development would continue as is, and Count Roslyn’s tax increases would remain unchanged.”
“….”
“Even if we get through this crisis, the villagers will still suffer because of the taxes.”
“…That’s true.”
Theon nodded with a heavy heart.
I knew that Theon had given gold coins to my grandmother last night. Unable to sleep due to the unease brought on by the new memories, I had heard the conversation drifting in from the living room.

“The High Priest gave it to me as spending money.”

Theon’s voice was calm, but the Baroness wept. I could not fathom what it felt like to be so poor that one had to accept allowance from one’s grandchild.
Her voice, apologizing for their poverty, was so sorrowful that my own heart trembled. If even I, merely listening, felt such sadness, how much more must Theon be suffering? Yet despite it all, Theon chose to comfort the Baroness instead.

“Poverty is not what saddens me. What saddens me is seeing you cry, Grandmother.”

Such was Theon—he could not possibly ignore the tax troubles that Baron Voltman had to bear.
“Then why are we fighting the Wild Dog Tribe?”
Theon paused at my fundamental question before answering.
“Because they’re our enemies. That’s what war is, Berry.”
“What kind of answer is that?”
Everyone treated absurd things as inevitable under the excuse of war.
War is what it is, and so Father’s death was unavoidable too.
Nothing was inevitable. We had to find the root cause of the war and eliminate it. I hated being victimized without even knowing who the culprit was.
“Theon.”
I made my decision.
We were far from Trabel at this moment.
The Knights and the Coachman, who might be the eyes and ears of relatives, were all in the Neighboring Village. Since the Neighboring Village was prosperous enough to have an Inn, they would not be entangled in this matter.
That meant I could display a bit of competence without drawing unwanted attention.
“Let’s stop the war!”
“…What?”
Theon stared at me in shock.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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