LIGHTNOVELWORLD Episode 40
Chapter 40
“…And so, everyone lived happily ever after. The end.”
I closed the book I had been reading aloud and looked at Vivian, who was by the side of the bed.
“Though there were occasional awkward passages, overall, there weren’t any major issues.”
“Great!”
I made a victory pose in response to Vivian’s words.
What I’m currently doing is reading aloud from a children’s book.
Vivian suggested it as a way to study and remember simple words that can be easily done even while lying on the bed. I had some free time, so I decided to give it a try.
The process involved having two copies of the same book—Vivian and I each holding one. First, Vivian would read the book’s content aloud, during which I would skim the text in sync with her recitation.
Once that’s done, Vivian reads a sentence aloud, and then I read the same sentence aloud after her.
By repeating these two steps and memorizing the content, I eventually read the book aloud on my own.
What I was just doing was the final step of this process.
“Did you understand the meanings of the words that appeared in the book?”
“Yes, I grasped them for the most part.”
“You catch on quickly. With this pace, you’ll likely grasp the necessary words for reading regular books in no time.”
Vivian’s commendation prompted a pleased reaction from me, tinged with a trace of embarrassment as I scratched my cheek with my index finger.
“Well, my mom had only one children’s book, but she used to read it to me often. So, I already knew some of the words.”
“I see… Rios sama’s mother had a book, even if it was just one. And you read it. …No, reading itself isn’t peculiar—”
“Is something the matter?”
Vivian seemed lost in thought, her hand against her lips. Intrigued, I inquired, but she shook her head, dodging the question.
“No, it’s nothing. More importantly, is there something you’d like to ask about that book of Rios sama’s mother?”
“About the book? My mom said she got it from an old friend a long time ago, but is there something that piques your interest?”
“Not to be impolite, but it’s rather unexpected for someone residing in the slums to possess books…?”
I had also wondered about that to some extent.
Nevertheless, the presence of magic and alchemy had steered this world onto an unconventional developmental path, exemplified by magical illuminating devices.
Given that paper could be produced to a certain extent, books likely didn’t hold the prohibitive price tag that would alienate commoners.
Moreover, there are academies accessible even to commoners. So, I thought literacy rates might be reasonably high.
Upon realizing that this world was related to the Wildia Chronicles, I had somewhat come to terms with my mom having a book. But based on Vivian’s reaction, it seemed odd.
“Even if it was a gift from an old friend, do you find it strange?”
“Yes, indeed. If one were struggling in the slums, financial circumstances might lead them to sell the book to supplement their livelihood or acquire something practical. But then again, if it’s a gift from a close friend, they might want to keep it. So, it’s hard to say for sure.”
Vivian’s observation was quite reasonable, and it made me contemplate as well.
My mother and I lived a relatively modest life, but we were never cornered to the point where we had to sell books. There was enough savings left as my mother’s legacy.
Nevertheless, the prospect of selling the book to enhance our livelihood wasn’t implausible given my mother’s nature, she might have done it for my sake. There must have been a reason she didn’t sell it… but since my mother has passed away, there’s no way to get answers. The truth remains in the darkness.
“(I still don’t understand. Why was the book kept? What kind of work did my mother do? In the end, I never found out, so is that somehow related?)”
“I apologize, please forget what I said earlier. I spoke unnecessarily. Let’s focus on your studies for now.”
“Understood.”
Further pondering seemed only to lead my thoughts in circles, without any clear answers in sight. To avoid getting stuck in this mental loop, I decided to temporarily set aside these thoughts and return to studying, just as Vivian had suggested.
“Let’s revisit that book later. For now, let’s move on to this one.”
“…Hm? Ah, even though the cover is different, it’s the book with this title. The one my mom had and used to read to me. I remember the content pretty well, so I think I’ll save this one for later.”
“Oh, I see. This book mainly features heroic tales that are popular in the northwestern region of the kingdom, Duchy of Reint .”
“The northwestern region?”
Although I had just resolved to focus on studying, the prospect of learning more about my mother’s origins prompted me to momentarily digress and voice my question.
“Indeed. …Though we’re getting a bit off-topic, let’s delve into some geography. Do you know where you are in the kingdom, Rios? Specifically, where the Baltzfeld County, which includes the capital city Baltzfeld, is located?”
“Somewhere in the west, I guess?”
I did actually know the specifics, but it would be unrealistic for a slum-dwelling child to be well-informed, so I offered a somewhat vague response.
“Exactly. To be precise, it’s in the southwestern part. While it’s technically in the western region, the considerable distance between the northern and southern parts results in a notable separation. So, wouldn’t it be more likely that your mother’s friend hailed from the northwest rather than her moving here?”
“My mother never really talked about who her friend was. I’ve never met them, and we’ve never received any letters from them. Does that mean they’re already dead?”
“That’s a possibility. For instance, let’s say they were engaged in a perilous occupation like that of a traveling merchant. Accidents can befall people on their journeys.”
In essence, Vivian seemed to insinuate the possibility of the individual meeting an unfortunate fate during their travels. This candid conversation served as a stark reminder of the diminished value of life in this world compared to Japan.
“…Hey, do you think there’s a chance my mom was also from the northwest?”
“Of course, that’s a possibility too. In that case, it’s conceivable that she might have come here alongside your father, almost like a romantic elopement. However, that scenario doesn’t align with the explanation for your living in the slums. If your father were a mercenary or adventurer, he would have taken escort missions to the northwest. In that case, he should have had decent skills and resources.”
“(Well, that seems obvious if he was a traveling merchant.)”
For a traveling merchant, it’d be natural to require a carriage for traveling across such vast distances.
He would presumably have a decent amount of capital, and he would likely be capable of supporting a family.
Well, unless he decided to start a trading business,, transitioning from a traveling merchant to a merchant, got into debt, and then died shortly afterward. But if that were the case, both my mother and I would have led even more impoverished lives.
…In the end, I just learned that my mother might have come from the northwestern region.
“Sorry, the conversation got pretty off-topic. Let’s get back to studying. What book are we using next?”
“Understood. We’ll use this one.”
The title was “The Valiant Knight Leven.” Judging by the title, it seemed to be a tale of chivalry.
“Hmm, what’s this book about?”
“To rescue a kidnapped young lady held captive by minions of evil, a tale of the gallant knight Leven embarking on a journey. Lord Alshade thought it would be wonderful if you, Lord Rios, would read it. By the way, the earlier heroic story is similar in nature.”
For a moment, I could almost see Alshade’s smiling face in my mind.
Although I hadn’t read it, I could already anticipate the story’s climax and resolution from the context.
The previous heroic tale involved a knight who defeated a powerful magical beast that had been causing havoc and then ended up with a princess of much higher status.
In this world, heroic tales were generally based on true events, so I could see through Alshade’s intentions in choosing those stories.
Having such a grand spoiler delivered to me left me feeling somewhat deflated.
“Rios, read the recommended books and prepare yourself emotionally.”
I thought I heard a faint voice, but I shook it off and focused on the content of the book.
――――――――――――――――
―― Meanwhile, Alshade ――
Jenelov: “Is something bothering you?”
Alshade: “No, I just felt like I had to say it that way.”
[ T/n: Just wanted to know how many of u guys like to read in dark mode compared to light mode….comment below]
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