The Icy Hero is Yearning for LoveCh2 - Tobol’s Vegetable Stew〚Riley〛

Editors: ASplashofMusic, sleepchaser

I had a childhood friend whom I was quite fond of. BAlpsP

He was strong, gentle, and brave. More so than anyone else.

…Too brave, in fact.

Chrysanthemum Garden.

Behind our orphanage had stood a towering olive tree. And his hair and eyes had been the same warm shade of brown as its trunk.

His eyes would glitter upon every new discovery, and his laughs were always open-mouthed and unrestrained. 2hEW46

Whenever he became hurt because of me, he would just grin, as if trying to comfort me.

“I’m sorry,” he said, laughter spilling from his lips. I couldn’t believe he could still do so.

Then he shoved me away with the hand he often used to caress my hair.

I fell onto the bed at the back of the room, stunned. When I looked up, Allen had lowered his gaze, still smiling. The Holy Sword was still clutched in his hand, but he now stood in leather armor. I had a similar set. We used it during training.

Then the door slammed shut.

Realization finally struck me. I rushed forward and banged over and over again at the door, trying to force it open. But it wouldn’t budge. Allen must’ve barricaded it.

I tried to summon my magic, but because my emotions ran wild, it wasn’t strong enough. Still, I didn’t give up on opening the door. A long while later, I somehow managed to get out of the basement.

Once I climbed up to the surface, I saw Allen. He sat leaning against the cross of the chapel. RIT rp

He looked at peace. There even seemed to be a hint of a smile on his face. Yet, his eyes were hollow.

Deep gashes ran through his entire body, a pool of scarlet beneath him. But even without these clues, it was obvious that Allen was no longer alive.

Because of the large hole in the middle of his chest.

I had no clear memory of what occurred after that. JvPayQ

I just knew screams and sobs escaped from me as I held Allen’s body. As the chapel burned down, the Holy Sword cast a protective barrier over me. How ridiculous.

I would never forgive the world that had snatched away Allen. My treasure.

✢

Following that event, I threw away my identity as Riley, naming myself Allen instead. JDpvLq

To make Allen’s name known to the world. To leave proof of Allen’s existence.

If there was someone who should be called a hero in this world, it would be no other than him.

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Everyone referred to me as one, but not once had I felt that way.

My nature wasn’t as heroic as it seemed to be. vXzDT9

Kill, kill, kill. Kill the demon that burned the village. That took Allen away. Kill its fellow demon co-conspirators. Kill the demons behind the attack.

Without mercy nor hesitance, I sliced off their heads. Time after time, the Holy Sword would stain scarlet, but with one swing, it would return to its prior immaculate state.

Those demons had been the ones that tormented Allen to death. That burned down my beloved village to ashes.

We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.

Pa kjr jii atf vfwbcr’ ojeia. H1TYyp

Efrfcawfca yfuba fnfc wbgf gfrfcawfca. Vbwfbcf tjv abiv wf atja yfobgf, yea lc ws fsfr, atja vlv cba wjaafg.

P vlvc’a mjgf lo rbwfbcf kfgf ab mbwf obg ws ilof. Kb rceoo bea atf mjcvif bo ws fzlrafcmf.

P kbeiv ojii ab tfii, yea ilnlcu kjrc’a jcs vloofgfca jcskjs. Pa kjr ilxf tjnlcu atf ibkfg tjio bo ws ybvs rfnfgfv, obgmfv ab rqfcv ws vjsr mgjkilcu bc atf ugbecv.

Dead or alive, I wouldn’t be able to meet Allen again. He was already in heaven, a place beyond my reach. As such, I no longer cared how I’d die. qSZdR

A swordsman. A dark sorcerer. A priest. And me.

During our journey to the border of the demons’ territory, we stopped by many towns and villages.

Our village might have been smaller and poorer than the ones we had passed, but in my opinion, ours had been the happiest. No other place like it.

We ended up helping many people through our journey, though it hadn’t been my intention. ImXTVq

My frozen heart only thirsted for revenge. Not even the sight of tears could thaw it.

The only reason I had helped them was because of Allen. After all, that was my current identity. Not Riley.

Whenever Allen caught sight of a child crying, he would go out of his way to help them. A troubled chuckle escaping his lips, he would stroke their head and say, “Don’t cry.”

Taking the responsibility of fighting off enemies came as second nature for him. If he were to hear news about a demon den in a forest, he would make it his duty to exterminate them. And whenever he suffered an injury, he’d say it was better than somebody else getting injured. hQsdU6

“Why are you training too, Allen? You’re just putting yourself in danger by following me here, you know.”

“I think it’s the opposite. It’s because it’s dangerous that I’m training. Besides, aren’t two people better than one?”

Chrysanthemum Garden.

At that time, I had touched Allen’s cheeks as he laughed.

Tracing the trail of drying blood, I had slowly chanted a healing spell. After Allen made known to me the warmth coursing through his body, a smile on his face, my heart raced. My eyes stung from the intense joy flaring in my chest. s5cDqn

Allen, I didn’t want to be a hero. I just wanted to stay here with you.

If I had voiced those words, would he have lived? Would we still be together right now?

No, definitely not. Allen would still clash with the demon.

It was like altruism was ingrained in his system. He would try to protect everyone to the best of his abilities. bNeDpV

If the opponent was someone way beyond his capabilities to defeat, Allen would still willingly fight them to the death.

Like when he had pretended to be the hero and died in my stead, not consulting my opinion on his plan. His actions spoke loud. As if he were saying to survive no matter what.

✢

“Allen, are you serious?” said the swordsman who had traveled with me for a long time. His brows were furrowed. NVcHyt

I blinked. Truth be told, I hadn’t been paying attention to what he had said, but I understood the gist of it. He was asking me whether I was actually serious about returning to my hometown.

My role as the hero had ended. I had defeated the demons and obtained my revenge in the process. The only thing left to do was to report to Allen. There was no reason for me to stay here.

He should have already been aware of my plans to return. So why was he trying to stop me now?

“Well, just hear me out first! Okay, you can go back to your hometown. I’ll begrudgingly give in on that point. But it’s not like you have to leave today. We just had our triumphal return yesterday!” aU12dX

“So noisy. Stop disturbing me.”

“Then at least stay for dinner. Look, there’s a tavern here! ‘A taste from the hero’s hometown! Tobol Vegetable Stew!’ We have to try this!”

Tobol Vegetable Stew?

Without realizing it, I stopped in my tracks, not believing my ears. 7FuNcj

The swordsman took it as my consent and dragged me into the tavern.

As soon as we stepped foot within, the bell on the door chimed.

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The tavern was furnished with a warm color scheme in mind, earthy shades of brown galore. While the interior seemed far from its prime, everything was spic and span.

It also seemed quite popular, bustling with people and activity. uBRmbx

As I took in the smell of food and alcohol, a feeling of nostalgia welled up inside me.

Nine bar stools sat in front of the counter. And in the kitchen area, two men rushed to complete orders.

The tables for the customers were already in disarray, and the clang of tableware colliding was prevalent.

In the midst of all this stood a slender man in a black apron. He flew around table to table like a Japanese Robin. ZsKh2w

“Welcome! Table for two, right? Hold on, I will prepare one right away!”

The man flashed us a quick smile, before turning away.

My heart skipped a beat at the sight of his back. And for some reason, I couldn’t take my eyes off him.

His looks were average, his hair and eyes a common brown. He did have an amiable smile, but nothing about him left any special impression. And yet… gzEAu7

As I scanned the tavern, I noticed a blackboard on the wall.

The moment I saw the handwriting on it, the nostalgia from earlier only intensified. Letters that seemed to cheerfully dance across the surface. The words “Tobol Vegetable Stew.”

Currently, the use of “a taste of the hero’s hometown” as a selling phrase wasn’t uncommon in the capital. But the dishes on those store menus were mostly oily stews or plain grilled chicken.

Meat had been a rare commodity in the orphanage. zxoemR

We were even forced to eat weeds during times of extreme poverty. Luckily, every village household would donate their food scraps. Usually vegetable scraps, like the cores. Because vegetable cores were incredibly hard, we would boil them until they turned mushy. Only then did we eat them.

Those had been the most delicious food I ever ate in my life.

“Today we’re eating vegetable stew!”

The kids would say in cheer, “Thank you for the food!” ZjEN57

…And Allen would burst in laughter, joy radiating from his entire form. I screwed my eyes shut at the image.

I clutched the pendant hanging near my chest. It contained a lock of Allen’s hair. At the same time, I bit the inside of my cheek, dispersing the memory.

Story translated by Chrysanthemum Garden.

✢

“Hey, can’t you reconsider?” asked the swordsman. “You’re still young, so why do you insist on returning to those ruins? The houses have all burned to the ground, and all sorts of wild plants have taken over the fields. Isn’t it enough to just visit the graves?” ymNsQi

As I gave him some vague answers, I stole glances at the waiter from under my thick hood.

He was slender and slight for a man. Noticing the perverted gazes of drunk men aimed at him, I felt the urge to slash their tongues.

But after thinking it through, I realized that I probably misread their gazes.

In this country, homosexuality was considered against God’s teachings. No “heretic” would brazenly spend their time here. XZEqsl

So why was I this irritated? Ever since Allen’s death, it was like I’d received facial and emotional paralysis. The only times my heart had felt alive, trembling, was when encountering Allen’s foes. Now that I’d sent them to their graves, I had thought my heart had numbed completely.

“Thank you for waiting! They’re hot, so be careful!”

The waiter placed the soup bowls on our table, before heading to the kitchen with empty plates.

My composure cracked as our gazes met. But as soon as the aroma wafting from the dish entered my nostrils, I finally fell apart. QNSetL

The smell of Kieri seed.

I gripped the spoon with my trembling hand, scooping up a piece of vegetable. The messily cut vegetables were simmered to perfection, the taste of the broth absorbed within.

Despite being the sole seasoning used in the dish, the Kieri seeds brought out the richness and umami of the vegetables.

This was the true taste of my hometown. 8BHM3D

If something like this still remained after I had lost everything, then…

“Hey, Allen?!”

The swordsman’s cracking voice snapped me back to my senses.

He asked me why I was crying, and it was only then that I realized my cheeks were wet and burning hot. But I chased after that waiter without bothering to wipe them. RbGuSx

He was one head shorter than me. Back then, Allen used to be taller than me.

Now, if he were still alive, I could probably hug his waist with only one hand. Allen had also been slender, but after so much training, he had gained some muscle. He was very nimble with the sword. So much so that he had even astonished the knights. And his serious side profile as he trained was always a beautiful sight to behold.

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I grabbed the waiter’s shoulder. It was so thin that I felt like I could easily crush it in my hand. There was no way he could lift a sword, let alone use it. There was no way he could fight against the demon… No, the one who had clashed with that demon had been Allen. This guy was just a waiter at a tavern.

Allen was no longer of this world. PiOIVa

Even so, the Kieri seeds and that stew…

His brown locks swayed as he turned around.

Upon seeing my hooded self, he squinted in puzzlement. And for the first time, I finally had a proper view of his face.

Just like I had expected, his slightly droopy eyes were different from Allen’s. This waiter couldn’t be Allen. Yet… S8FrmU

His warm brown eyes widened in surprise. “Riley? Why are you crying?”

Riley finally meets Ilya! (⁎˃ᆺ˂) But Riley, don’t cry… You see, my son Riley is just a pure cinnabun, he’s not scary at all~ I’m just sad every time he goes back to his past self though, wuwuwu QAQ

Just in case anyone is wondering, I’m actually translating the honorifics like ‘-san’, ‘-dono’, etc into English honorifics! I think it will make the reading smoother that way, especially since this novel setting doesn’t take place in Japan. ( °꒳° )

Support the author! Here’s the tutorial made by “Shido Within” on how to buy digital books at CMOA. The tutorial specifies on how to buy digital manga, but I think it should work for novels too. After registering, you can click here to go to Icy’s CMOA page. Apparently, you can also buy this book at Bookwalker Japan! You’ll need to create a Bookwalker Global account first, then connect to VPN before clicking here to go to Icy’s Bookwalker page (or you can go there from the RAW Page on Icy’s ToC!). Here’s the guide on how to purchase books on Bookwalker JP Store! After the purchase, you can turn off the VPN and download to read the book on any device! (Thank you Shadow-san for telling me about this! ˭̡̞(◞⁎˃ᆺ˂)◞*✰) The difference is that if you’re using CMOA, you need to pay using your credit card, but with Bookwalker, you can pay using PayPal! Very efficient! w P7jM

Support the translator! How about buying this translator a cup of bubble tea to give her a pat in the back? o(*>ω<*)o