ch21-ch40 · 026-ch26
Chapter 26: Old Story
After taking a refreshing bath and eating a satisfying breakfast, I found myself sitting at the round dining table in our living room, spacing out while watching daytime TV, something I rarely get to see on a weekday morning.
As I was relaxing like that, Papa made me some coffee.
"Ai, was a cappuccino okay?"
"It was perfect!"
We keep a small espresso machine in the kitchen too, just in case something happens to the one in the food truck. Caffe lattes, caramel macchiatos—you name it, I can make it!
"Well then..."
Papa placed two cups down and sat on a cushion. This is it, this is really happening.
"Should I turn off the TV?"
"Ah, yeah, I guess so."
Papa was smiling, but he seemed nervous about something.
That nervousness somehow transferred to me too, and I straightened my back without even thinking about it.
"Ai, before I start talking, I have to apologize first... I can't tell you everything about the world I was in before. So, there might be things you want to know that I can't answer. I'm sorry."
Papa placed his hands on his knees as he sat cross-legged and bowed his head.
"...Is it okay if I ask why?"
"Yeah. The things I can't talk about... if I tell them to you, I might have to return to that world. I couldn't bear being separated from you. So... my inability to tell you is just my own selfishness."
Papa said with a slightly pained and apologetic look, his eyebrows furrowed.
But I denied that.
"It's not selfish. I'd be in trouble if you disappeared too, Papa. I can't live by myself....So, don't worry about the things you can't tell me."
"...Yeah, thank you."
Papa smiled a little bashfully and took a gulp of his black coffee.
And then, with a serious expression, he began to talk about the other world.
― ◆ ―
That world, Ceylo, operates on different principles than this world.
The most significant difference is 'eiyōso.' In Ceylo, eiyōso is used for everything. Lighting streetlamps, running locomotives, turning ship paddles. And it's also used for the power people use to fight.
When the Demon King's army suddenly invaded peaceful Ceylo, I was still just a boy.
I had been working as an apprentice at a dining hall in the royal capital of a country called the Ceylo Kingdom, aiming to become a chef, but the Royal Knight Order was recruiting kitchen staff to accompany them, and I volunteered.
You see, all the customers who came to the dining hall had gloomy expressions. Even though I couldn't fight, I wanted to do something to help everyone.
Eventually, the war intensified, and the kingdom and other countries began to be overwhelmed by the Demon King's army.
Among the Demon King's subordinates, who grew stronger day by day, some appeared who could even break through the powerful eiyō-armor equipped by the knight order.
So the kingdom decided to borrow the power of the sacred beasts 'Color Birds' that grow with eiyōso to stand against the Demon King. Since ancient times, there had been a legend of those who communicated their hearts with the 'Color Birds' and merged with them to defeat evil.
There were seven 'Color Bird' eggs. They weren't just about strength—they would only merge with those the eggs recognized.
Six of them found compatible people without any issue, but the last one—the black egg—just couldn't find anyone.
In the end, there were no compatible people among the knights and mercenaries, so the kingdom decided to have non-combatants try too. And the one the egg chose—was me.
I, along with the other compatible individuals, underwent trials to merge and trained as knights, gaining the power to fight.
Then, over several years, we fought and fought and fought against the Demon King's army... until finally, we defeated the Demon King.
Everyone was happy. They thought peace had come.
I was happy too. I thought I could finally get away from the fighting days and work toward my dream of becoming a chef. That's what I believed.
...But, that wasn't the case.
The important people wouldn't let go of the immense power of us Seven Knights.
For those who were originally knights or those who desired advancement, it was still bearable. But for comrades like me who wanted to quit being knights, or who were truly tired of fighting and wanted to live in the countryside, honestly, it was painful.
I tried to escape too, but you can't hide large amounts of eiyōso, and I was found no matter where I went.
And then the important people tried to send us Seven Knights to war with other countries. Even though we had been comrades when we fought against the Demon King's army. They wanted to dominate other countries by force.
That's when I really grew to hate it. Not just the Ceylo Kingdom, but the very world of Ceylo itself.
I realized that even if I stayed in Ceylo, peace would never come. I couldn't become a chef either.
When I thought that, I committed a taboo.
I used the royal family's secret technique and their secret treasure mirror without permission, and escaped to another world... to this world.