The Second Strongest Has Returned

Chapter 87 Speeding – 2

I felt nauseous.

The train was clearly advancing smoothly, and the seat was definitely a special class ticket I had paid for.

Then why did it feel like I was sitting on a bed of nails?

“…So, what’s your name again?”

“Ain.”

“And who’s your father?”

“Lord Leonardo.”

At those words, the village chief glared at his black-haired grandson, while the village wolf hunter burst into hearty laughter.

“Oh! Your dad must’ve put in a lot of effort, huh?”

“Yes, he tried very hard.”

“Khaha…!”

I suddenly felt an urge to kill some kind of beast or animal, but I held myself back. The killing intent coming from the elderly woman next to me wasn’t something I could ignore either.

“You didn’t even say a word about marriage, and you’ve already had a kid? Tsk…”

I wasn’t sure if the expression “had a kid” was even correct here.

“In reality, Father is part of the anti-marriage faction. That’s why I call Mother ‘Sister Aria’ instead.”

It was a correct explanation, but the way she summarized everything in such a cold tone made Leonardo feel like he had turned into a complete piece of trash.

“…Hey, Leonardo.”

“No… That’s not it…!”

“Where did you sell off your conscience?!”

Dean grabbed Leo by the collar first.

Thwack, thwack.

“You little bastard! Even chewing you up wouldn’t make me feel better! Is this how I raised you?!”

Chief Anus hit Leo’s back with a cane, as though scolding a young boy with a switch.

“Please restrain them, Grandmother. Uncle.”

At Ain’s request, Grandmother Anus, who had suddenly gained a great-granddaughter, and Uncle Dean, who now had a niece, paused after seeing those lifeless yet sparkling eyes and reluctantly lowered their hands.

“The child isn’t at fault… The child did nothing wrong…”

Anyone who saw this would think it was entirely his fault. If you really thought about it, even Leo was a victim of responsibility without pleasure.

“Since the kid’s cute, I’ll let it slide… Sigh…”

Anyone looking on would think I was a pleasure-seeking maniac. Then again, even I wouldn’t believe it if someone told me I had a biological daughter while being unmarried, girlfriend-less, and inexperienced.

“I’m sorry. Uncle got too mad at your dad, didn’t he?”

“No, it’s fine. Father seemed to accept it anyway.”

It was true, but everything Ain said made Leo feel like a complete piece of garbage.

“Come to think of it, I didn’t get a chance to change your clothes. Are you okay?”

While they had been busy punishing an innocent man, no one had really paid proper attention to Ain.

“Clothes…”

Before anyone could even ask, Chief Anus looked horrified. Dean, who had just spilled his drink, opened his mouth in shock as well.

“…When did you dry that off?”

“I was fine from the beginning. This robe is made of special material.”

The reason Ain insisted on wearing plain gray clothing rather than flashy outfits was due to its abilities.

The robe was designed with various physical defense enchantments and resistance to elemental magic in case of any unforeseen assassinations or attacks.

It also incorporated materials similar to Ain’s own hair, allowing the robe to transform seamlessly whenever Ain shapeshifted. It would revert back to its original state afterward, thanks to its memory-retaining properties.

“…Uh… Um…”

“Of course, it also has waterproof and drying capabilities, so the spilled drink caused no harm. Please don’t worry.”

Perhaps because of Ain’s stiff tone, both Anus and Dean looked bewildered and dumbfounded.

“…Look, I might be a country bumpkin who doesn’t know much, but… do nobles usually wear clothes like that?”

Technically, it was true for the upper nobility, but unless you were directly connected to the imperial family, you would never see such clothing.

Besides, this robe was a custom-made item.

“Not generally, no. However, I faced significant risks of assassination and kidnapping, so Father had special measures taken.”

“…Assassination and kidnapping?”

“…I see. So you’ve already been crushed under the weight of family politics at such a young age…”

It felt like they were seriously misunderstanding something. The two of them spoke as if Ain were caught up in a war for power, like in a novel.

I guess that explanation was more believable. After all, who would immediately guess and accept that the child beside me was a familiar born in ancient times and my biological daughter?

“…No, it’s not like that…”

“You don’t need to explain if it’s hard. We’re not completely clueless.”

Dean grinned with a loyal expression, his canines showing. It was touching, but that wasn’t the case at all.

“…I’m sorry, little lady. You must’ve had a rough time at such a young age…”

Anus followed up with a pitying gaze. Ain’s appearance looked, at best, under ten years old.

They probably thought she had made some huge decision at such a young age. Honestly, she hadn’t done anything except cut her hair.

“…It’s okay… I also… really… wanted to get married…”

Why did she mention marriage with such a sad, pitiful expression and voice? She looked like the tragic heroine of a story, trapped in the darkness of power, yearning only for love.

Why did Anus quietly pat Aria’s back? For the first time, she truly seemed like a sly fox.

Honestly, Ain wasn’t even a child I gave birth to myself, and most of the time, I was the one who raised her.

“Uh… I guess I need to explain, right?”

[What? This is the most fun part; why are you stopping?]

{Lumine, Investigator, while I don’t condone enjoying such things, for the sake of a young girl’s love, silence must sometimes be maintained.}

Why did these damn bastards, who deserved to be cast into hell, always get along so well at times like this? Did they really have a death wish this time?

* * *

In this chaotic scene, like a ray of light sent down by a god, the Saint descended to deliver the truths he knew to the ignorant mortals, bringing an end to this endless seat of thorns.

The mortals were filled with disbelief, but thanks to the Saint’s fervent sermon, they gradually began to realize the truth, their initial disbelief replaced with shock and shame over their misunderstandings.

“…Does that even make sense?”

They were still skeptical, though.

“You think I could just transform into a wyvern here in this cramped train compartment?”

Since they were so unwilling to believe, Ain finally shifted into her wolf-human form and lightly scratched Dean’s nails to convince them. Only then did the two start listening properly.

“…No, but… you really seem to be involved in something big here…”

“I suppose so.”

“…And you’re that calm about it?”

To be fair, Dean’s reaction was completely normal.

To his left sat Lumine, a representative of the temple and the gods, a Saint. To his right sat Ariasphil, the Hero and god’s avatar, humanity’s savior.

On top of that, the Hero and I somehow had a daughter together in this strange relationship.

“…The Hero, huh? I always thought you were an exceptional girl when you were young, but I never imagined you’d actually become the Hero.”

“Ah… Well, yes. The divine revelation came quite suddenly, after all.”

When the Holy Sword first landed in her hands, it caused an absolute uproar. Everyone was too busy trying to deal with the fallout to think clearly.

“And you… You were in the Magic Tower? Which one?”

“I wasn’t affiliated with any of them. To be precise, I was officially floating between Towers.”

Thanks to the special magic permit clauses and the excuse of searching for the Sage’s Legacy, Leo was able to study lessons freely across multiple Magic Towers without officially belonging to any.

It was also how he had attended courses on magical tools in the Black Tower, which allowed him to create Ain’s gray robe.

“Then… you must’ve been given a hard time, huh?”

Dean’s assumption wasn’t far off. At the time, Leo was practically a gray-area student, not belonging anywhere. Because of this, there were often times when no one protected him.

“But Father managed to quell the controversy through his research papers and achievements in creating unique magic. In fact, he eventually began facilitating knowledge exchanges and mediating discussions between the Towers.”

Though Ain’s tone was stiff, the compliment made Leo feel somewhat proud.

At first, it had simply been mediating disputes among lower-level students over their studies. But it eventually escalated to the point where even upper-class students and occasionally professors consulted him.

“…No wonder the money you sent home kept getting heftier…”

“You could’ve just used the warp gate. The leftover money from your living expenses should’ve been enough for that.”

Considering the amount of gold Leo sent home each month, it wouldn’t have taken long to save up for a warp gate. A month or two of saving would’ve been more than sufficient.

“I told you, the village chief opposed it. He said he’d save it for your dowry…”

Thud…

Anus’s cane slammed down on Dean’s foot. The pain silenced Dean immediately, keeping him from shouting in protest.

“It’s not like the trip to the capital takes that long anyway. It’s not worth wasting money on.”

“But you’re not that young anymore. Wouldn’t it be nice to travel comfortably? That’s what money’s for, after all.”

Smack.

“You youngsters don’t know the value of money these days. Besides, I’m healthy enough to hit you like this, aren’t I?”

Despite being struck by the cane, he didn’t feel particularly bad. Was this some kind of nostalgic brainwashing or beautification of old memories?

“So, what’s your business in the capital?”

Once enough gaps in their shared knowledge were filled, Lumine posed the question to keep the conversation moving.

“Well… How do I even explain this…”

While Dean struggled to organize the complicated details, Anus summarized it into a single sentence.

“An old friend of mine says he’s going to die. So I’m heading to his funeral.”

“…Ah… I’m sorry…”

“It’s fine. At my age, death starts to seem like a relief.”

The somber tone of her words shifted the mood. Everyone wore solemn expressions everyone except Ain, who remained perfectly expressionless.

“Um, Grandma Anus, may I ask you a question?”

“Is there a grandmother in the world who wouldn’t answer her pretty great-granddaughter? Ask away.”

Her tone when addressing Ain was completely different from when speaking to her grandson. Wasn’t this favoritism a bit too blatant?

“When you said, ‘he’s going to die,’ it sounds like he hasn’t actually passed away yet. If he has an illness or another problem, is there any way to help him?”

Come to think of it, Ain was right. Anus’s phrasing implied a future event. That meant she was preparing for the funeral of someone who wasn’t dead yet.

“Our little great-granddaughter is so smart. Who did you take after to be so sharp?”

“I take after my father.”

[She even shuts down compliments like her father does.]

Ain held the mouth of the strange phenomenon that spouted nonsense at Leo’s request, while the wise old woman, who delighted in Ain’s intelligence, answered her granddaughter’s question.

“He’s incredibly healthy for his age. No illnesses, no accidents or misfortune.”

That made the story even stranger. If the friend was perfectly fine, it raised the bizarre scenario of holding a funeral for someone who was still alive.

“Don’t get the wrong idea. It’s not an assassination plot or anything, so don’t be so shocked.”

Honestly, considering everything I’d experienced so far, an assassination attempt would be as mundane as being invited to sample dishes in a restaurant-filled alley.

“He’s a prophet, you see. That old friend of mine.”

“A prophet?”

Ain’s tone held a hint of intrigue at the new information. It was awkward, but given her usual stoic speech, it was a big step forward.

“He predicted it was his time to go. He foretold his own death.”

“Couldn’t you just prevent it, since it’s been foretold?”

“Well… He seems content with it. If someone can die as peacefully as that, is there really a need to stop him?”

To help explain, Anus handed Leo and the others a piece of paper she had taken from a letter.

‘When I fall into the most peaceful sleep, the heartbeat of my soul will cease. So bring tequila when you come.’

Aside from the errand for tequila, it sounded like he was predicting his heart would stop naturally in his sleep due to old age.

Considering the friend was likely around Anus’s age, it seemed like a peaceful and acceptable way to go.

“That’s why I’m making preparations ahead of time, so he doesn’t leave alone. He has no family to take care of it for him.”

“…I see.”

Finally, the strange situation made sense. A prophet predicting his own death was something you’d only hear about in fairy tales.

“Are the prophecies accurate?”

“Well… Sometimes they’re right, sometimes they’re not. Most of the time, they’re too vague and convoluted to be of any real help in urgent matters.”

Leo was familiar with that as well.

“He used to send me strange letters with weird phrases. What was that one again…”

“[The one who makes the most valuable use of the flour I give them will return to me.] That one?”

At that, Leo fell silent for a moment.

“Right, that’s the one. But when it comes to making valuable use of flour, all I can think of is baking bread…”

“Maybe a famous chef got the flour and made something amazing?”

“Could be. Did they sprinkle gold on the bread or something?”

Everyone burst into laughter at the joke.

The only ones who remained serious were the regressor, quietly reminiscing about memories that hadn’t yet happened, and his wise familiar.