Volume 1 Chapter 64 My First Battle VI ~Epilogue~
Cain found himself standing on the battlefield.
Arthur and the others were gone, leaving only soldiers fighting against the orcs.
An orc knight was raising his sword to strike Cain, his roar echoing── "Graaagh!"
"Whoa, ah!"
Cain shot up from bed, screaming.
"Phew, phew, phew, this is gonna give me some serious trauma."
Realizing it was just a dream, he grumbled and flopped back onto the bed.
"Oof!" As he hit the bed, a pain he couldn't describe shot through his body.
'What the...? Could it be muscle pain?! No way! This hurts too much!'
Every time he tried to move, a sharp pain ran through him.
'I should cast [Heal].'
"Ouch!" This time, a different kind of pain shot through his insides.
'Now what? I tried to use [magic], and the pain got worse. Does that mean I need to practice [Mana Control] now? This is it... I can't move, can't do anything... Someone, please notice me...'
As he gave in to the double pain and despair, he fell asleep again.
"Knock, knock, knock." Someone was pounding on the door, but Cain couldn't hear it.
"Cain, I'm coming in──"
Alice slowly opened the door and peeked inside.
"Still sleeping, huh? Mother Lydia said to let you rest a bit longer."
Is he really just sleeping like that, sprawled out?
Looking at Cain's sleeping face, Alice spoke to him.
"Good grief, even after being told not to overdo it. When you wake up, I'll give you some praise, okay?"
She poked and stroked Cain's cheeks and hair, playing with him before quietly leaving the room.
Hours later, the scent of freshly baked bread wafted through the air.
He thought, "Mmm, smells good... I'm starving!" Then, his stomach growled "GYYUU," and Cain woke up, hit with crazy hunger.
'I'm... I'm hungry! Gimme food, *anything*!'
He sat up in bed.
It wasn't as bad as the pain before, but his whole body still hurt, but the hunger was stronger, so he got up.
Cain begged as he opened the kitchen door.
"Lloyd! Feed me, pleeease!"
"Good morning, Young Master Cain... I'll get something ready right away, please wait over there. But you brothers are so close, aren't you?"
Head Chef Lloyd looked at the table in the corner of the kitchen.
Arthur, Benjamin, and Chris were already stuffing their faces there.
"You haven't eaten all day, so first, have some special soup to get your strength back."
Chef Lloyd set a clear, golden soup in front of Cain.
"Thanks! Hooo... slurp."
The salt was perfect, and the rich chicken flavor hit him hard.
"Delicious!"
He wolfed it down, then sighed, "Phew."
"Now, here's porridge and hamburgers. Chew well, or your tummy will hurt, you know?"
He put the plates down with a knowing smile.
The soup made Cain even hungrier, and he scooped up a hamburger with his spoon and ate it.
"Mmm, good!"
He shouted with his mouth full.
"Bad manners. I told you to chew, Young Master Cain! And I won't forgive you if you leave any."
Chef Lloyd held knives in both hands and warned him in a low voice.
Munch munch munch, gulp.
"Yes, I'm sorry."
"Young Master Arthur, did you all understand? Huh?"
"""Yes, we understand."""
"Cain, are you feeling okay? Does anything hurt, or can you not move something?"
Benjamin asked about Cain's health with concern.
"Yes, my whole body hurts since I woke up. Two kinds of pain, I think. Muscle pain and Mana pain?"
"It's the same for me, Cain. I have more muscle pain than ever before. What could be the cause?"
'''It's definitely because of what we did back then.'''
The 3, excluding Chris, were reminiscing about their actions when they defeated the Orc Knight.
"Cain, is your Mana hurt too? I've run out of Mana twice this time, and whenever I try to use it, it's like getting stabbed with a knife. Mana pain... it's starting to ease up, but it's better to keep the Mana 'circulating.' Hurts like hell, though."
Benjamin showed his usual slightly dark smile as he explained about Mana pain.
"Is Brother Arthur okay?"
Chris directed the conversation to Arthur, who hadn't joined in.
"What, this kind of muscle ache and injury is just part of knight training. Our captain always says that if you push past the muscle pain, you'll grow stronger muscles. 'Go beyond your limits' is his motto."
Wow, that captain is a real musclehead.
Cain hopes the knight corps is okay.
Cain vowed to never join the Knights.
"Oh, I thought no one was in the room, but you're all having a meal here."
Lydia said as she entered the kitchen and saw the brothers eating together.
"Madam, I'm sorry. I just wanted the young masters to eat a bit earlier, so we started here."
"Don't worry about it. These children must have started eating here? Everyone, please don't worry your mother too much. Consider her feelings, waiting for you."
""""Sorry, Mother.""""
The brothers all bowed their heads.
"Oh, so everyone was here. I could have found you without searching if you were eating in the cafeteria."
Luke also entered the kitchen.
"Lloyd, can I get Lydia's portion and 2 cups of scented tea?"
As he orders Lydia's scented tea, he sits at the table.
"I've eaten here too. It's more relaxing than eating alone in the cafeteria, all stiff."
Remembering the past, he scans the kitchen and mutters to himself.
"Anyway, Arthur, Benjamin, Chris, Cain. You all did great this time. The battle results were amazing, but I'm really happy to see each of you grow. Cain, congrats on your first battle win. You handled it well. I sent you out for growth, and I'm glad you came back safe. Chris, you did a great job protecting Cain, and your teamwork with Arthur was amazing. Benjamin, you really protected Cain and kept an eye on our surroundings. That was excellent. Arthur, you've upped your game. That fight against the Orc Knight was something else. And your leadership skills were truly impressive. Guys, as your father, I'm proud to have you as my sons."
Praise from Luke had the 4 brothers beaming with joy.
"Ugh, making me into a bandit and sticking me in a place like this!"
Alice walked into the kitchen.
Naturally, everyone's smiles overflowed as they laughed together.
Cain hoped with all his heart that this family's happiness would last forever.
'Lady Gardea, please let everyone in the family be happy.'
Character Notes:
Arthur - The first son from the first wife, boisterous and teasing, affectionate.
Alice - Cain's Elder Sister, from the second wife.
Lydia - Cain's Stepmother.
Lloyd - Head Chef of the Family.
Benjamin - The second son from the first wife, wise and calm, experienced in magic.
Chris - Third son from the first wife, earnest and impressed by Cain.
Luke - Cain's father.
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