I Will Try to Save My Dad - Chapter 51

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

Chapter 51

Baron Voltman ran. His path led toward the entrance of Leaf Village.
Thomas, unable to keep pace with the old man’s sprint, fell behind and gasped for breath.
The villagers, roused by the news, were stumbling out of their homes into the night.
“Get inside! No—run!”
Baron Voltman’s voice cut through the darkness.
The people of Leaf Village had never held a sword in their lives. Baron Voltman knew they would crumble the moment they faced the Wild Dog Tribe.
He alone—a man who had once lived on the battlefield—was the only one in this village capable of standing against the humanoids.
“Don’t come to the village entrance! I’ll buy us time!”
As Baron Voltman shouted and ran, his breathing grew ragged.
‘Already winded. I suppose I’ve grown old after all.’
If only his body were ten years younger. As he ran, Baron Voltman’s mind was haunted by anxious thoughts he could not easily dispel—regrets over the years that had passed.
Where had Reytan gone? Why were the Wild Dog Tribe attacking today? Could he turn them back by claiming they had miscounted the days?
Yet amid these dark, uncertain thoughts, there was one consolation.
‘Theon is not here.’
That his grandson was spared from facing this perilous situation was Baron Voltman’s only comfort.
His daughter had borne a child with a man whose name she did not even know. Baron Voltman had built this log house so he could live alongside such a daughter.
A retired knight had no income. Baron Voltman possessed no lands to call his own.
He farmed to survive. The baroness and his daughter labored in the fields alongside him. Yet Baron Voltman never asked his grandson to help.
‘That boy’s hands are meant to wield a sword.’
The old man had recognized his grandson’s talent long ago.
Theon was destined to rise to greater heights.
That Reytan Quartz Trabel himself had taken the boy as his disciple was proof of this.
This old man. This grandfather.
Could not become a burden to his grandson—a man who had given nothing despite his poverty.
‘I will end this.’
There was no time to search for Reytan. But if he owed his master a debt of lives, a great weight would settle upon his grandson’s heart. In time, it might become shackles that would bind his wings and prevent him from soaring.
Huff, huff.
Drawing in ragged breaths, Baron Voltman took his stand at the village entrance. The path ahead was empty and still.
From far away, the earth trembled. A horde of massive Wild Dog Humanoids was approaching.
“Come then.”
Baron Voltman gripped his sword and fixed his gaze forward. The sound of feet pounding the earth assaulted his eardrums. They drew closer, kicking up clouds of dust, their forms growing ever clearer.
Even if this were to be his final moment—
“I shall be a companion to guide this old man to the afterlife…!”
And then—
“Grandfather?!”
In the next instant, his sword fell limply to the ground.
The moment Baron Voltman laid eyes on his grandson arriving astride a Wild Dog Humanoid, his jaw dropped so far it nearly unhinged.

***

Upon reaching Kokone Nest, I seized the moment when Father was surrounded by the Wild Dog Tribe to slip away with Zikal alone toward the Spring.
Ancient runes hovered just a finger’s breadth above the ground, waiting for me.

“Hurray! I can fix it!”
“You… truly can?”

Zikal’s tone betrayed his disbelief.
Restoring the Spring was no longer a difficult task for me, but secrecy had to be absolute.

“Father of Kokone.”
“Call me Zikal.”
“Only you must know that I’ve restored the Spring! If anyone else finds out, it might dry up again!”
“I understand. I’ll tell the others it was a miracle of the Forest.”
“Good. And when I restore the Spring, I must be alone!”

Zikal couldn’t see the ancient runes, but he would certainly witness my secondary income falling from the air.
Clink! Clink!
Two gold coins obtained!
Fewer than those from the Grand Temple’s runes, though Akum had called that amount absurdly excessive.
Two coins were an unexpected windfall.

“See? It’s fixed, right? Humans are helpful too?”
“This is… impossible…”
“Hehe. So the Mountain is safe now?”

The water gushed forth.
Zikal stood motionless for several minutes, speechless as he watched the Spring bubbling up abundantly.
I was equally content, fingering the two gold coins in my pocket.
Then Zikal suddenly dropped to one knee before me and bowed his head.

“Wh-what?”
“This is my respect for a savior. When you have need of me, I shall repay this debt with my life itself, whenever you call.”
“Your life isn’t necessary…”
“Once my kin learn the Spring has returned, there will be chaos. I’ll inform them separately. Thank you, young human.”

In any case.
Father became the leader of the Wild Dog Tribe, the Wild Dog Tribe released the hostages safely, and the Mountain Spring returned.
We arrived at Leaf Village after accepting the Wild Dog Tribe’s offer to give us a ride—

“….”
Baron Voltman fell speechless as he watched us descend from the enormous Wild Dog Humanoid’s back.
“Sir, your jaw’s about to drop.”
Father, who had ridden here with Zikal, lowered me down and spoke to the Baron.
“Baron—! We’ve returned…!”
“How could someone with a bad back fight the Wild Dog Tribe alone! And together…?!”
“W-w-what?!”
That’s when it happened.
The villagers who had rushed to the village entrance with farming tools and kitchen utensils in hand froze the moment they saw our group and the Wild Dog Tribe, their faces mirroring Baron Voltman’s expression exactly.
Their mouths hung agape, their eyes wide as saucers.
“Chief, is there anything else you’d like me to do?”
The Wild Dog Humanoid prostrated itself before Father, wagging its tail as it asked.
Roll. The villagers’ eyes shifted in unison to gaze at the Wild Dog Humanoid.
“No. Go. Now.”
Roll. This time their eyes turned toward Father.
“Aww! That’s disappointing!”
The Wild Dog Tribe howled in protest. Theon, who had dismounted from the Wild Dog Humanoid alongside Jeffrey, walked toward Baron Voltman.
“I’m back. Grandfather.”
“Oh, yes. But what on earth is all this…?”
He looked utterly bewildered. Theon spoke as if it were nothing remarkable.
“Master defeated the Wild Dog Tribe’s leader. So Master became the Wild Dog Tribe’s leader.”
“Then what happens now…? The war with the Wild Dog Tribe…?”
“We don’t have to fight.”
Rumble.
At those words, the villagers dropped their farming tools from their hands. Then they took a tentative step toward Father.
“…Don’t rush me.”
Father’s brow furrowed. The villagers hesitated for a moment at his expression. But I knew better.
‘They won’t be able to hold back!’
The joy of survival would overwhelm their fear of him!
Someone’s sob became the starting signal. The people surged forward all at once.
“Young Master Trabel—!”
“Our hero! Our savior!”
“Reytan Quartz Trabel!”
The village was saved. No one had to die.
They tried to grab Father’s legs to carry him on their shoulders, but failed when caught by Windis’s wind. Still, they surrounded Father in an embrace, refusing to let even that be stopped.
“Berry, come over here.”
Before the crowd could reach me, Theon whisked me away from the throng.
Phew.
After slipping between people’s legs and catching my breath, I spotted a familiar face—Countess Trabel.
“Berry, someone’s calling for you.”
“Oh? Then I’ll go check!”
“Mm.”
Countess Trabel sat on a rock as wide as a bench. As I approached, she glanced toward where Father was and spoke.
“The negotiations seem to have gone well.”
“Yes!”
Just then, cheers erupted from the crowd.
“The Wild Dog Tribe will protect us?!”
“Does that mean we don’t have to pay taxes anymore?! We won’t have to worry about security anymore!”
“Of course! Where could you find a more reliable force than the Wild Dog Tribe!”
“We don’t need to pay taxes to Count Roslyn anymore!”
By Father’s command, the Wild Dog Tribe had agreed to handle security for the village.
With Count Roslyn’s tax issue resolved, what remained was—
“Ah, my shoulders are killing me.”
I quickly moved behind Countess Trabel and began tapping her shoulders as I whispered.
“Countess Trabel, what about Marquis Ash?”
Countess Trabel and I had made a certain deal.
She would suppress articles about Marquis Ash’s land development and Father’s involvement in this affair.
In exchange, I would provide her with lifetime massage privileges and useful investment information.
“No matter how I think about it, I’m the one getting the short end of the stick.”
“Hmm. Then should we cancel our deal and tell Father? Our dad would become filthy rich. Right?”
Pat, pat. I continued tapping her shoulders earnestly as I spoke.
“You little troublemaker.”
Countess Trabel glanced at me and let out a reproachful sound, a smile playing at the corners of her mouth.
“Never mind. What would that fool understand? Only an alchemist of my caliber—or a strange little troublemaker like you who’s memorized all my alchemical formulas—would know.”
“…Is that a compliment…?”
“In any case, you’ll have to vouch for me.”
“Huh?”
“When I checked yesterday, the Port Kingdom only had pumpkin seedlings. I’ve arranged to bring some ornamental plant or whatever tomorrow. Let’s see if we can actually make a recovery potion from it.”

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