Chapter 56
If audio player doesn't work, press Stop then Play button again
“Lain. Do you really have fun, reading that book all the time?”
“Mom, you only have 10 years left to live because of the curse, so it’s not a question of whether it’s fun or not.”
When I was ten, I constantly read books from ancient magician civilization.
At this point, I had lived with my mother for quite some time.
At the age of five, I learnt about the curse that accompanied our lineage, and was desperate to get rid of it before my mother died because of it.
“Well, we have lots of money, so I don’t mind spending it for Lain’s magic studies.”
“We are completely self-sufficient, so the money from anti-demon aristocratic work just keeps piling up. Just how many generations worth do we have saved up?”
“I wonder. At least, I never saw my dad spend any of his money.”
Since the Demon Forest was nearby, and time spent in the forest directly correlated with our strength, we spent most of our day inside the forest.
The only time we were outside was to sleep.
“Despite looking like a man who vied for power, or who liked alcohol or gambling…”
“But alcohol and gambling take up time, don’t they? Isn’t that time better spent training instead?”
“…Yes mother.”
I knew our family was a muscle-brained one, but I didn’t think it was this bad.
“Well in reality, the people of our branch family cut their lives short because of alcohol and died off quickly, that’s why we refrain from consuming it.”
“Eh? Does this curse shorten our lifespan based on our eating habits? Then we have to adjust our diet as well…”
We used to eat vegetables and meat procured from the forest, but I decided it might be better to create a field while thinking in terms of nutrition.
I decided to take steps in order to improve our quality of life.
***
“Lain is very skilled.”
“I do want to live as long as I can.”
I was cultivating the fields today as well.
I couldn’t do it properly with farming tools, so I forcibly cultivated them using magic.
It unexpectedly consumed a lot of MP.
I also bought various health goods from the town, and ended up turning the house into a mess this past month.
Although, most of it was broken magic tools which I bought at a steal from the markets.
I’m not sure how effective they were either.
Magic sure was convenient.
That’s because, if it was anything from the ancient magician civilization, I could fix it in an instant.
Apparently, some of the merchants at the market saw me fixing the tools, but since it was after buying, there shouldn’t be any problems.
“Well, it is Lain’s life after all. You should do as you like. I’m a little worried that training your is becoming a hassle though.”
“…Seriously mom, I’d like you to stop taking on dangerous stuff now. If possible, I want you to retire as an anti-demon aristocrat altogether.”
My life together with mom continued like that.
Training, hunting in the forest, eating.
She couldn’t cook to save her life either, but I had no complaints with the way we currently lived.
By removing the curse, I wanted to extend this way of living as much as I could.
“…I see. So that’s how Lain felt.”
“?”
Mom sealed her lips after thinking about something.
For a while, she continued to stare at me.
***
“Yup! Lain! We’re going into the forest, so get ready!”
“No, I don’t even get what you’re saying “yup” to. What do you mean?”
“Today I will teach you the final secret of anti-demon aristocrats. This will be my final lesson to you so keep your eyes and ears open, alright?”
I couldn’t reply back to mother, who was making a much more serious expression than usual.
“G-, got it.”
“It’s fine if you only look, but be fully prepared before that.”
“Fully? Are we heading deep inside the forest?”
I asked while getting prepared.
I say prepare, but it’s only the sword I wear on my side and my armor, so it didn’t take long.
I hadn’t yet delved deep into the Demon Forest.
My MP was still slowly rising despite not going that deep in.
That’s why I didn’t have to either.
Mom went training in the depths of the forest by her self, ever since I had become capable of fighting on my own, so I wondered if she found something there.
“Yeah. I’m planning on going to the deepest part of the forest.”
“Eh?”
I left the house with a stunned expression, while being dragged outside by my mother.
***
“No…way.”
“How is it? I bet this is the first time you’re laying your eyes on one.”
A giant dragon was lying horizontal in front of me.
It looked like it was sleeping.
I had come to the deep end of the forest with my mother.
Partially through, I saw mom uncharacteristically hide herself while progressing which I found weird.
Turns out she was hiding from this dragon.
Behind the dragon was a dragon vein, a point where magical power spouted from.
You could tell because the magic coming from it was visible to the naked eye.
The concentration of magic over there was abnormal.
This is probably the deepest part of the forest, which mom mentioned.
I had heard that there were dragon veins at the deep end of the forest, but I didn’t expect anything like this.
“Amazing.”
“Amazing right? It was found by our ancestors several generations ago.”
“Several generations? Then why isn’t that defeated yet?”
The training method of anti-demon aristocrats was to defeat everything around a monster, gather experience, then defeat that monster itself.
According to the law of the forest, the strongest monster in a particular area can’t be stronger than a human who trained to the max. in the same area.
I don’t get it very well, but if you stay in the same region, humans become stronger than every monster in it.
That’s why a monster like this should have been defeated ages ago.
“You see, that dragon is a clever one. While it is awake, it drives out everything that wanders around here, so no one has been able to train in this area.”
“Eh?”
“It’s probably aware that we’re training in the forest to get stronger.”
If we can’t train, then we won’t be able to defeat this monster.
This had never happened before.
“Then why aren’t we being attacked right now?”
“It falls asleep during the short period of time when the sky’s color changes from blue to red. Of course it will retaliate if we attack first, but it won’t do anything if we just stand close to it.”
Wondering why it wasn’t moving until now, I confirmed that it was sleeping.
“Alright, I’m going to challenge that dragon to a fight. You stay back and keep watching, Lain.”
“Wha-!?”
Mom suddenly spoke something outrageous.
Please report us if you find any errors so we can fix it asap!
“Lain. Do you really have fun, reading that book all the time?”
“Mom, you only have 10 years left to live because of the curse, so it’s not a question of whether it’s fun or not.”
When I was ten, I constantly read books from ancient magician civilization.
At this point, I had lived with my mother for quite some time.
At the age of five, I learnt about the curse that accompanied our lineage, and was desperate to get rid of it before my mother died because of it.
“Well, we have lots of money, so I don’t mind spending it for Lain’s magic studies.”
“We are completely self-sufficient, so the money from anti-demon aristocratic work just keeps piling up. Just how many generations worth do we have saved up?”
“I wonder. At least, I never saw my dad spend any of his money.”
Since the Demon Forest was nearby, and time spent in the forest directly correlated with our strength, we spent most of our day inside the forest.
The only time we were outside was to sleep.
“Despite looking like a man who vied for power, or who liked alcohol or gambling…”
“But alcohol and gambling take up time, don’t they? Isn’t that time better spent training instead?”
“…Yes mother.”
I knew our family was a muscle-brained one, but I didn’t think it was this bad.
“Well in reality, the people of our branch family cut their lives short because of alcohol and died off quickly, that’s why we refrain from consuming it.”
“Eh? Does this curse shorten our lifespan based on our eating habits? Then we have to adjust our diet as well…”
We used to eat vegetables and meat procured from the forest, but I decided it might be better to create a field while thinking in terms of nutrition.
I decided to take steps in order to improve our quality of life.
***
“Lain is very skilled.”
“I do want to live as long as I can.”
I was cultivating the fields today as well.
I couldn’t do it properly with farming tools, so I forcibly cultivated them using magic.
It unexpectedly consumed a lot of MP.
I also bought various health goods from the town, and ended up turning the house into a mess this past month.
Although, most of it was broken magic tools which I bought at a steal from the markets.
I’m not sure how effective they were either.
Magic sure was convenient.
That’s because, if it was anything from the ancient magician civilization, I could fix it in an instant.
Apparently, some of the merchants at the market saw me fixing the tools, but since it was after buying, there shouldn’t be any problems.
“Well, it is Lain’s life after all. You should do as you like. I’m a little worried that training your is becoming a hassle though.”
“…Seriously mom, I’d like you to stop taking on dangerous stuff now. If possible, I want you to retire as an anti-demon aristocrat altogether.”
My life together with mom continued like that.
Training, hunting in the forest, eating.
She couldn’t cook to save her life either, but I had no complaints with the way we currently lived.
By removing the curse, I wanted to extend this way of living as much as I could.
“…I see. So that’s how Lain felt.”
“?”
Mom sealed her lips after thinking about something.
For a while, she continued to stare at me.
***
“Yup! Lain! We’re going into the forest, so get ready!”
“No, I don’t even get what you’re saying “yup” to. What do you mean?”
“Today I will teach you the final secret of anti-demon aristocrats. This will be my final lesson to you so keep your eyes and ears open, alright?”
I couldn’t reply back to mother, who was making a much more serious expression than usual.
“G-, got it.”
“It’s fine if you only look, but be fully prepared before that.”
“Fully? Are we heading deep inside the forest?”
I asked while getting prepared.
I say prepare, but it’s only the sword I wear on my side and my armor, so it didn’t take long.
I hadn’t yet delved deep into the Demon Forest.
My MP was still slowly rising despite not going that deep in.
That’s why I didn’t have to either.
Mom went training in the depths of the forest by her self, ever since I had become capable of fighting on my own, so I wondered if she found something there.
“Yeah. I’m planning on going to the deepest part of the forest.”
“Eh?”
I left the house with a stunned expression, while being dragged outside by my mother.
***
“No…way.”
“How is it? I bet this is the first time you’re laying your eyes on one.”
A giant dragon was lying horizontal in front of me.
It looked like it was sleeping.
I had come to the deep end of the forest with my mother.
Partially through, I saw mom uncharacteristically hide herself while progressing which I found weird.
Turns out she was hiding from this dragon.
Behind the dragon was a dragon vein, a point where magical power spouted from.
You could tell because the magic coming from it was visible to the naked eye.
The concentration of magic over there was abnormal.
This is probably the deepest part of the forest, which mom mentioned.
I had heard that there were dragon veins at the deep end of the forest, but I didn’t expect anything like this.
“Amazing.”
“Amazing right? It was found by our ancestors several generations ago.”
“Several generations? Then why isn’t that defeated yet?”
The training method of anti-demon aristocrats was to defeat everything around a monster, gather experience, then defeat that monster itself.
According to the law of the forest, the strongest monster in a particular area can’t be stronger than a human who trained to the max. in the same area.
I don’t get it very well, but if you stay in the same region, humans become stronger than every monster in it.
That’s why a monster like this should have been defeated ages ago.
“You see, that dragon is a clever one. While it is awake, it drives out everything that wanders around here, so no one has been able to train in this area.”
“Eh?”
“It’s probably aware that we’re training in the forest to get stronger.”
If we can’t train, then we won’t be able to defeat this monster.
This had never happened before.
“Then why aren’t we being attacked right now?”
“It falls asleep during the short period of time when the sky’s color changes from blue to red. Of course it will retaliate if we attack first, but it won’t do anything if we just stand close to it.”
Wondering why it wasn’t moving until now, I confirmed that it was sleeping.
“Alright, I’m going to challenge that dragon to a fight. You stay back and keep watching, Lain.”
“Wha-!?”
Mom suddenly spoke something outrageous.
Lain. Do you really have fun, reading that book all the time?Mom, you only have 10 years left to live because of the curse, so it's not a question of whether it's fun or not.When I was ten, I constantly read books from ancient magician civilization.At this point, I had lived with my mother for quite some time.At the age of five, I learnt about the curse that accompanied our lineage, and was desperate to get rid of it before my mother died because of it.Well, we have lots of money, so I don't mind spending it for Lain's magic studies.We are completely self-sufficient, so the money from anti-demon aristocratic work just keeps piling up. Just how many generations worth do we have saved up?I wonder. At least, I never saw my dad spend any of his money.Since the Demon Forest was nearby, and time spent in the forest directly correlated with our strength, we spent most of our day inside the forest.The only time we were outside was to sleep.Despite looking like a man who vied for power, or who liked alcohol or gamblingBut alcohol and gambling take up time, don't they? Isn't that time better spent training instead?Yes mother.I knew our family was a muscle-brained one, but I didn't think it was this bad.Well in reality, the people of our branch family cut their lives short because of alcohol and died off quickly, that's why we refrain from consuming it.Eh? Does this curse shorten our lifespan based on our eating habits? Then we have to adjust our diet as wellWe used to eat vegetables and meat procured from the forest, but I decided it might be better to create a field while thinking in terms of nutrition.I decided to take steps in order to improve our quality of life.***Lain is very skilled.I do want to live as long as I can.I was cultivating the fields today as well.I couldn't do it properly with farming tools, so I forcibly cultivated them using magic.It unexpectedly consumed a lot of MP.I also bought various health goods from the town, and ended up turning the house into a mess this past month.Although, most of it was broken magic tools which I bought at a steal from the markets.I'm not sure how effective they were either.Magic sure was convenient.That's because, if it was anything from the ancient magician civilization, I could fix it in an instant.Apparently, some of the merchants at the market saw me fixing the tools, but since it was after buying, there shouldn't be any problems.Well, it is Lain's life after all. You should do as you like. I'm a little worried that training your is becoming a hassle though.Seriously mom, I'd like you to stop taking on dangerous stuff now. If possible, I want you to retire as an anti-demon aristocrat altogether.My life together with mom continued like that.Training, hunting in the forest, eating.She couldn't cook to save her life either, but I had no complaints with the way we currently lived.By removing the curse, I wanted to extend this way of living as much as I could.I see. So that's how Lain felt.?Mom sealed her lips after thinking about something.For a while, she continued to stare at me.***Yup! Lain! We're going into the forest, so get ready!No, I don't even get what you're saying yup to. What do you mean?Today I will teach you the final secret of anti-demon aristocrats. This will be my final lesson to you so keep your eyes and ears open, alright?I couldn't reply back to mother, who was making a much more serious expression than usual.G-, got it.It's fine if you only look, but be fully prepared before that.Fully? Are we heading deep inside the forest?I asked while getting prepared.I say prepare, but it's only the sword I wear on my side and my armor, so it didn't take long.I hadn't yet delved deep into the Demon Forest.My MP was still slowly rising despite not going that deep in.That's why I didn't have to either.Mom went training in the depths of the forest by her self, ever since I had become capable of fighting on my own, so I wondered if she found something there.Yeah. I'm planning on going to the deepest part of the forest.Eh?I left the house with a stunned expression, while being dragged outside by my mother.***Noway.How is it? I bet this is the first time you're laying your eyes on one.A giant dragon was lying horizontal in front of me.It looked like it was sleeping.I had come to the deep end of the forest with my mother.Partially through, I saw mom uncharacteristically hide herself while progressing which I found weird.Turns out she was hiding from this dragon.Behind the dragon was a dragon vein, a point where magical power spouted from.You could tell because the magic coming from it was visible to the naked eye.The concentration of magic over there was abnormal.This is probably the deepest part of the forest, which mom mentioned.I had heard that there were dragon veins at the deep end of the forest, but I didn't expect anything like this.Amazing.Amazing right? It was found by our ancestors several generations ago.Several generations? Then why isn't that defeated yet?The training method of anti-demon aristocrats was to defeat everything around a monster, gather experience, then defeat that monster itself.According to the law of the forest, the strongest monster in a particular area can't be stronger than a human who trained to the max. in the same area.I don't get it very well, but if you stay in the same region, humans become stronger than every monster in it.That's why a monster like this should have been defeated ages ago.You see, that dragon is a clever one. While it is awake, it drives out everything that wanders around here, so no one has been able to train in this area.Eh?It's probably aware that we're training in the forest to get stronger.If we can't train, then we won't be able to defeat this monster.This had never happened before.Then why aren't we being attacked right now?It falls asleep during the short period of time when the sky's color changes from blue to red. Of course it will retaliate if we attack first, but it won't do anything if we just stand close to it.Wondering why it wasn't moving until now, I confirmed that it was sleeping.Alright, I'm going to challenge that dragon to a fight. You stay back and keep watching, Lain.Wha-!?Mom suddenly spoke something outrageous.
