The Duke Dad I Chose Can’t (Really) See Well - Chapter 76

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 76

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The barracks, which had only been filled with voices, became noisy again with the sound of hammering tools.

Rene, who had been watching him for a moment, turned around again.

Then he came face to face with a bird that was chirping and looking at him while tilting its head.

“-Why?”

“….”

“-Why? Why? Why?”

Since it mimicked words quite well, he hadn’t refused, thinking he might gather some information.

But the bird was extremely noisy. So much so that he thought he should have pretended not to understand speech if he had known it would be like this.

‘But it’s still better not to speak.’

That way Hanisha would confide various stories to him.

That day, the day he heard those absurd stories about marriage and such from Hanisha.

Rene headed to the Forbidden Land again. It was to check on the condition of the jaguars who were like family to him.

【Why did you come here? I was resting peacefully.】

However, the Lead Jaguar was perfectly fine.

【Don’t tell me you just left that little one behind and came back alone? What a pathetic excuse for a man. Don’t you dare call yourself my son anywhere!】

…The way he nagged made Rene think it might have been better when he was sick.

But one thing was certain.

The hunters who occasionally invaded would sometimes coat their prey with poison for hunting.

Because of this, large amounts of poison had been accumulating in the bodies of the cubs who still lacked wariness.

However, including the Lead Jaguar, all the Baby Jaguars that Hanisha had touched were completely fine.

With just that child’s touch.

That wasn’t all.

After that day, the nightmares that had visited him every night also disappeared instantly.

It was certainly a good thing for Rene. Since he had been tormented by those nightmares every night.

Instead, another voice came to find him.

Find that child.

Someone’s voice.

You must find her, Rene.

Someone’s call, filled with gentle yet sorrowful sadness….

Only then can you stop the —….

Because it somehow didn’t feel unfamiliar.

No, rather because it was painful.

Rene sought out Hanisha again.

“Ah, Rene!”

And the moment he held hands with Hanisha, the forms of nightmares rose again as if they had been waiting.

Memories fragmented like torn photographs.

Rene could instinctively tell.

This was his future.

And if he stayed with that child, he could see his future.

The reason he had silently entered this Paterre Stukkyia was because of this.

In fact, Hanisha tended to readily tell him her plans, thinking he couldn’t understand speech. This was reason enough to stay by her side.

“-Why? Why?”

So this could serve as an answer to that chirping bird’s question. Of course, he wouldn’t actually answer.

It was the moment he was about to turn around since his business was finished.

Then he suddenly became curious.

In his last nightmare.

Under the collapsing wall, did you who stood there ultimately disappear just like that.

“If you keep doing that, someday the memory of failure might become the driving force for the future, don’t you think?”

So was that why his heart felt so frustrated the moment he heard those words.

He couldn’t tell.

But one thing was certain.

Hanisha. If he stayed with that child, all these questions would be resolved.

These emotions, these memories. All of them.

* * *

I slowly opened my eyes to a gentle hand shaking my shoulder without causing pain.

The dawn sunlight was seeping inside.

‘I must have dozed off… Huh?’

Why did I fall asleep?

As I slowly opened my eyes, I saw Ashirion.

‘Right, the Snow Rabbit!’

Only then did I bolt upright from my seat.

“H-how did it go?”

“….”

“Are you okay? You’re not hurt, are you?”

“….”

Ashirion had an unreadable expression.

Ashirion’s lips moved as if he was about to say something, then he shook his head.

‘Ah.’

At that, I naturally intuited.

Failure.

It was a failure.

I wasn’t disappointed. It was just a feeling of ‘I see.’

‘How could you fill your stomach with the first spoonful anyway.’

But the children wouldn’t feel the same way.

“It’s okay, Ashirion. You worked hard.”

“….”

“Oh, it must have been tough staying up all night, right? I think there’s some cocoa over there, so let me get you some….”

It was when I was about to go get him something to eat.

“Anyone listening would think it failed.”

An incredulous response came back. Max approached with a haggard face.

“Don’t say weird things and scare Hanisha.”

“Huh? Then that means…”

“I succeeded in attaching it. He found me a suitable magic stone.”

Max nodded his head toward me. At some point, Rene had come to stand beside me.

Wait, that means.

“Did, did it succeed?”

“Not yet.”

Ashirion shook his head.

“Still, since I’ve attached it, we need to wait and see if it combines well and can move.”

It meant he couldn’t be certain yet.

It was like those common lines from dramas where doctors say, ‘The surgery ended successfully, but let’s monitor the progress going forward.’

“Th, thank goodness…”

As I patted my chest in relief, Max glared at Ashirion saying, “See, you scared the kid.”

“I told you to tell her in advance, why make the Younger Boy wait.”

Then Ashirion replied calmly.

“I simply couldn’t state unclear results. The greater the expectation, the greater the disappointment.”

“Still, there’s real meaning in that process. I really want to crack open your head sometimes to see what you’re thinking.”

“Even if you cracked open my head, you couldn’t see my thoughts. Thoughts are literally just thoughts.”

Ashirion said this with a slight smile.

“Right, Hanisha?”

“Uh, yeah. That’s… right…?”

At my lukewarm agreement, Max tiredly rubbed his face.

Seeing him give up without further comment, it seemed he’d had many conversations with Ashirion last night…

Just then, the outside suddenly became noisy, and the door burst open. The villagers and Snow Rabbits had come to visit.

“H, how did it go?”

【Is our comrade alive?】

Max and Ashirion took turns informing them of the results. At the words that they still needed to monitor the condition, they murmured slowly.

“That means…”

【Time is needed.】

The villagers and Snow Rabbits looked at each other with anxious eyes.

The villagers at the Snow Rabbits who had caused the avalanche.

The Snow Rabbits clearly couldn’t trust the humans who had tried to harm them.

That’s when it happened.

“…!”

The Snow Rabbits extended their hands first.

The villagers who had flinched slowly took those hands.

It meant they would take time and try to trust each other for now.

“See? Hearts do connect after all.”

Max, who had been watching, glanced at Ashirion as he spoke.

“This is why the process is important.”

“Max.”

“Huh?”

“Max, shake hands with Ashirion too.”

“What?”

At my words, Max and Ashirion’s eyes widened as if they’d heard something absurd.

Max shouted indignantly.

“Wh, why should I shake hands with that guy?”

“You two need to work together from now on. But are you going to keep fighting like this all the time?”

“That’s…”

“I think Max just said the process is important. Did I hear wrong?”

“…But, Hanisha.”

“It’s no use trying to persuade her, Ash. It won’t work. She won’t listen. Hurry up and shake hands, hurry!”

Ashirion started to speak as if to persuade, but it was hopeless.

I put strength in my eyes as if I wouldn’t back down.

Then Max approached hesitantly.

“Here.”

“…What.”

“Shake hands, the Younger Boy said to.”

“…”

“You said you wanted to be an older brother, but you won’t listen to your younger sister? A proper older brother should live completely under his younger sister’s thumb, you know?”

Despite his grumbling, the playful tone made Ashirion flinch.

However, thinking it sounded reasonable, Ashirion eventually clasped hands with Max.

‘Seeing things like this, Max really does show his traits as the eldest.’

Good, good.

Smiling contentedly, I now took Rene’s hand together.

“Won’t you do it with Rene?”

“What?”

“Telling me to get along with that guy too?”

“Yeah. He’s my friend.”

“But he’s…”

“I like older brothers who welcome my friends well.”

“…!”

“…!”

Then Ashirion and Max startled.

“Well, I am Hanisha’s older brother.”

“If it’s Hanisha’s friend…”

Max and Ashirion extended their hands to Rene.

“Rene, you just need to shake hands. Like this.”

“…”

“Li-ke this. Like thi-is.”

When I demonstrated handshaking with gestures, Rene, who had been watching quietly, followed suit and shook hands with both of them.

Just as my nose was about to tingle with emotion.

“Oh right.”

A sudden thought brought me back to my senses.

This avalanche aside, I had a different purpose from the beginning.

First, screwing over Agnito.

And second.

I turned my head toward the villagers who had come inside with us.

“Excuse me, there’s something I’d like to tell you…”

Toward the Driver who had been my goal since the moment I came to Biroche Territory.

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