NOVEL NEXT chapter 53
53. Taboo Conversations
───Sasha is Takeshi-san’s daughter. The shock was too much, and my head couldn’t keep up. Wait, if Sasha is Takeshi-san’s daughter, how old would she be? He was alive 500 years ago, after all. That means Sasha is…
“Sasha, is there a reason you don’t know your father’s face? You said he passed away, but…”
Dar was curious and asked Sasha. Sasha’s mother was already pregnant with her when Takeshi-san was executed, which meant… Ah, yes, that’s right. Sasha was over 500 years old. I didn’t ask her age because it would be impolite, but now I really wanted to know!
“Did Kail investigate too?”
“Ah, that’s right. I was curious and looked into it.”
“My father was executed, you know. He was accused of hurting the heart of the Elf King’s daughter, Meril, or something ridiculous like that.”
“Meril, the princess, right? I don’t know the details, but I do know he was publicly executed.”
“I heard that my father took responsibility for getting my mother pregnant, and Meril got angry and had him arrested.”
───Takeshi!
I knew Takeshi had feelings for five women, but he really messed up. I also heard from Durandal and saw Noel explode in anger. You shouldn’t anger the Elves; they get really attached to their loved ones.
I want to be the kind of man worthy of being Noel’s fiancé. I don’t want to die at her hands.
“That’s a terrible story.”
“My father was about to be executed, but that master over there saved him. My mother was also his disciple, it seems.”
“Ah, the one who saved your mother’s life? You should respect him, Sasha.”
“Yes, yes, thank you, Grandpa.”
Maxwell is getting angry at Sasha. There’s a high possibility that Takeshi died due to Meril’s jealousy. Sasha’s mother, who was carrying Takeshi’s child, must have been in danger as well.
Now I know who put the material enhancement on Takeshi’s letter. It was Maxwell. He was in a master-disciple relationship with Sasha’s mother and knew Takeshi as well.
Back then, Maxwell’s name was already famous worldwide. It’s not surprising that he would go to great lengths to protect Sasha’s mother.
“Speaking of which, Kyle was investigating, but that’s an old story, right?”
“That’s the era when ‘Fat but Agile’ Takeshi was active.”
“And that means it was during the time of the Brave Hero Lloyd, right?”
Dal is deep in thought, stroking his chin.
“In other words, Sasha is a crappy old lady!”
“Shut up, you brat!”
Dal has touched a forbidden topic. Even Sasha wouldn’t talk about her age. No, she didn’t seem that angry, but she was trying to act like she was. She’s being too sweet, Sasha. There are people who dislike you.
If I let my guard down, she’ll pounce.
“You’re over 500 years old, and yet you call yourself the ‘Young Sage’?”
“I didn’t give myself that title.”
“You called Maxwell ‘Grandpa’ just now, but Sasha, you’re also incredibly old.”
“In the Dwarf world, I’m still relatively young.”
“That’s something you could say to the Elves as well. From my perspective, you’re an old lady.”
“Shut up, you brat…”
This is a rare sight. Sasha is getting angry, and Cecil is losing to her. She seems carefree, but Sasha is also a woman.
Dwarves, Elves, and Demons are long-lived species. They can live for over 1,000 years without a problem. Among the Dwarves, Sasha is considered young… or is she? If I think about it in human terms, she would be around 50 years old. No, I shouldn’t say that. She’ll definitely get angry.
Sasha is being called “Drunken Chaos” and doesn’t seem to mind. She must have resisted being called the “Young Sage.”
The reason Sasha is called by that nickname is because of her appearance, not her actual age. As a Dwarf, she has a small stature and a youthful face, which makes her look younger than she is. And her large breasts are quite disproportionate to her body.
When I see her drinking heavily, I don’t feel like she’s that young.
I should have listened to more of Maxwell’s story. I thought it was a recent event because of her appearance, but it seems like it happened a long time ago.
In the past, it was considered impolite to ask a woman her age, so I didn’t. She wouldn’t have told me anyway.
Takeshi is Sasha’s father, and she knows about Durandal and Takeshi. She must have investigated her father’s past.
If she’s lived for 500 years, she might know something about the 5th Demon King. No, if she knew, she would have said something. I’ve never heard of Sasha’s name during the time of the Brave Hero Harold. It’s likely that she didn’t appear publicly. Considering her personality, she’s either frequenting a tavern or researching magic in the Wizard’s Tower.
By the way, I remember that the dwarf magician was part of the Brave Party. I think his name was Totorele. Maybe Sasha knows about him.
It might be a good idea to ask her about it now. But I’ll hold off for now. She seems to be getting worked up about her age, and bringing up old stories is like pouring oil on the fire.
Besides, it’s about time we stopped Sasha and Cecil’s bickering. Both of them have reason, so I don’t think it’ll escalate, but if they get too heated and start using magic, it’ll be a problem.
And we need to get back to our original goal.
“I think Sasha has a lot to say, but let’s hold back for now.”
“I don’t think I’m in the wrong, though…”
“Cecil, respect your elders. Don’t say anything that might make them angry.”
“If my brother says so, I’ll endure.”
“Hey, didn’t Kyle just treat me like an old lady?”
“No, I didn’t. I just said to respect him because he’s older than us.”
“I’ll knock him down!”
Sasha was muttering to herself as she returned to her seat. Good, now I can relax a bit.
Oh, Sasha is using magic to bring out drinks again. She’s probably going to start drinking heavily. But just like before, Maxwell is stopping her.
“What the hell, why are you stopping me?!”
“How dare you speak to your master like that! And besides, this is a no-drinking zone!”
“Since when did it become that?”
“Right after my disciple left.”
“Then that’s fine, isn’t it?”
“No way!”
Sasha walked up to Maxwell again and grabbed his collar. Maxwell’s body was floating in mid-air. Seriously, what is she doing to her master?
That person is a great sage, respected by everyone. Is this how she treats someone she’s known since childhood? They’ve had a 500-year relationship, after all.
“Sorry, can we continue the conversation?”
“I’ve been listening to Sasha’s story. Isn’t it about the magical tool of that beast girl?”
Maxwell answered while still being grabbed by Sasha. Seriously, let go of him already, Sasha. Oh no, Maxwell’s body is floating again. This is getting out of hand. Maxwell is an old man, and if anything happens to him, it’ll be dangerous.
“I’ll answer first, but unfortunately, we can’t make the magical tool.”
Maxwell continued, his distinctive beard shaking. Why is he continuing like that?
Rather, stop already! It’s bad for his body, so I restrained Sasha. When I touched her, she said “Kyle’s erotic!” and I hit her on the head. She muttered to herself and returned to her original seat.
Finally, we can have a calm conversation. Maxwell looked at me with a sense of relief.
“It’s rare to see Sasha listen to someone’s story so honestly.”
“Don’t you listen?”
“Can’t you see that now?”
“That’s what I mean. Anyway, let’s get back to the conversation. You said the magical tool can’t be made?”
Sasha’s antics almost derailed the conversation, but what she said was unforgettable – we can’t make the magical tool.
“I want to make it, but we don’t have enough materials.”
“Materials?”
“We need a magic stone that can withstand that girl’s power. Unfortunately, we don’t have one on hand.”
“A magic stone that can withstand Tora’s power? What kind of thing would that be?”
“I think we need a magic crystal stone!”
The difficulty level just shot up. Magic crystal stones aren’t something you can easily get your hands on. Looking around the room, my friends have worried expressions on their faces. Yeah, that’s right. They’re not something you can easily obtain.
How are we going to get our hands on one…?
As I was thinking about such things, I noticed the commotion outside. Something must have happened.
My companions also looked puzzled. The door to our room burst open, and a dwarf receptionist rushed in.
“It’s an emergency! The Ancient Dragon is attacking a nearby village! The village head requests that Maxwell-sama respond to the situation!”
The Ancient Dragon. A powerful magical creature ranking high among dragons. Even the guards would find it difficult to handle.
However, this country has a great sage. That’s why a rescue messenger came to Maxwell’s aid.
The dragon, a species that gains power by consuming magic stones. As an Ancient Dragon, it’s a dragon that has lived for a long time.
If we defeat the dragon, we’ll get the magic crystal.
I glanced at my companions’ faces and saw them nodding. Only Sasha looked annoyed, but that’s understandable. It’s like a moth flying into the flames, or rather, a brave party like us encountering a dragon.
──It’s dragon hunting time!