A Story of a Male Knight (Not a Female Knight) in a Chastity-Reversed World ~The Girls Are So Afraid of Being Disliked That a “Kukkoro” Scene Never Happens~ - 4

Chapter 4: My Male Knight Son Is Too Perfect

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Elsa-san returned almost immediately, bringing a woman along with her.

“I’m so glad, Ray! You look well, and that’s all that matters…! Uuu…”

A dignified woman with silver hair—a woman who looked every bit like a knight. She suddenly hugged me tightly. She felt warm. There was an intense, cozy warmth radiating from her.

“I was against it. But the Kukkoro family is a house of swords sworn to protect the Mikado, and even though you’re  my beloved son, we had no choice but to have you undergo the ceremony to awaken his magic. And the result was, you collapsed and lost your memory… Uuu. I’m such a terrible mother, I’m so sorry. Please, somehow, forgive me…”

Apparently, this beautiful knightly-looking woman was my mother. I felt deep affection from her, and it made me feel sorry that I wasn’t truly Ray, her son. No, there was probably no point in worrying about that now. There was a sense within me of a child who unconsciously adored her, and I felt a firm pride that I was undoubtedly her son.

Besides, no matter what I did, there was no way to bring back the original Ray. Right now, I was Ray, and I was her son. All I could do was be a son she’d be glad she gave birth to.

“I don’t think you’re a bad mother at all.”

“R-Ray!? H-How can you say that!?”

“Because you’re here, holding me like this, and I can feel your love. You’re here even though you’re busy, didn’t you?”

“Th-that’s right. When Elsa told me you had woken up…”

“Thank you for worrying about me. I’m fine, so please don’t worry.”

“Uuu… Ray is saying kind words to me… Uuuu. I’ve only ever been told ‘Die, you old hag’ or ‘Old hag, die,’ but now… Elsa said Ray has become a gentle, wonderful boy who makes women cry, and it’s true…”

Weren’t “Die, you old hag” and “Old hag, die” basically the same thing? It was sad she was counting them separately.

When I glanced at Elsa-san’s face, thinking how my mother was reacting just like her, her face was pale—no, it was already purple, the same color as when a P Production was in the absolute worst condition.

“Elsa-san, are you okay?”

“R-Ray-sama… I-I might not be okay…”

“That’s right. Elsa is not okay. Trying to make Ray train when she’s supposed to protect him—such a traitor deserves to be executed.”

“Hiiiii!”

Elsa-san let out a terrified scream. I didn’t know what she’d done, but wasn’t execution a bit much? I knew it was obviously a joke, but since my mother was someone important enough to be called the head of the family, it might not be taken as one.

“Mother, you can’t. Even if it’s a joke, don’t scare her.”

“I’m sorry, Ray. But, you know, trying to make a boy train when he doesn’t want to is a serious crime.”

“You think Elsa-san was trying to force me?”

“Isn’t that the case?”

“No, it’s not. I asked Elsa-san to train me because I want to. And if you were angry at her, then you must be mistaken.”

“Eh???????”

An unbelievable number of question marks seemed to float above my mother’s head.

“W-Why would you say something like that?”

“I want to become a knight.”

“T-that’s a lie. Boys don’t want to become knights. Knights are violent and scary. Knights are the number one job boys don’t want to do.”

“That’s not true. Knights are beautiful and cool.”

“No way!? Then what Elsa said about Ray wanting to train… It was true!? It wasn’t a lie Elsa made up because she wanted to lick the sweat Ray dropped on the floor!?”

As my mother turned to face Elsa-san, a loud wail burst out.

“I-I told you, didn’t I!? I wasn’t lying, please, I beg you, spare me from committing seppuku!”

“I-I understand. I’m truly sorry, Elsa.”

“T-thank goodness… I’ve been saved…”

It seemed things had settled down for now. Judging from the flow of the conversation, it looked like Mother had heard everything from Elsa-san already. If she already knew the circumstances, then I could ask her directly.

“Mother. I want to become a knight. Could you make arrangements for me to start training?”

“Yes!!!!!! N-no, I can’t. I mustn’t give in to my son’s angelic smile. I must not be swayed by the desire for parent-child bonding training. Listen, Ray.”

“Okay.”

“Your memory was affected by the ceremony to awaken your magic, and that’s the only reason you feel like becoming a knight. I’m sure you’ll want to quit soon. But once a member of the Kukkoro family begins knight training, quitting halfway is unforgivable. It would bring disgrace to our ancestors.”

It was true I was a boy from a prestigious family. I knew that if I started something and gave up halfway, it would cause a bad reputation.

“And Ray. In the world of knights, strength directly equals power. Males have less magical power than females. If you throw yourself into it, you’ll surely face hardships. I know it’s harsh, but I think you should give up.”

My mother’s face was that of a parent. Even if it meant being disliked, her strong love for her child came through.

“Thank you, Mother.”

“Oh, you understand, Ray. This is just a passing fancy. I’m sure you’ll soon forget about it.”

“No, I’m serious. But I understand why you’d think I’m just speaking on impulse. So…”

“So?”

“I’ll train hard for one month. If during that time you see me give up or see no real results—if you feel I’m not serious—please tell me. Then I’ll give up.”

I didn’t want to give up. But the path of a male knight was a harsh one. If I couldn’t even convince my mother, I’d never become one. This was the first trial I had to overcome to become a knight.

“Ray… How gallant of you…”

“Ray-sama… You’re too cool…”

Their faces looked like they were worshiping something precious as they glanced at each other and nodded firmly.

“Alright. I will carefully observe whether you’re truly serious or not.”

“Yes!! I’ll do everything I can to support you, too!!”

“Thank you, both of you.”

““Fyeeeh…””

While the two of them turned all melty like ice cream left out in the sun, I stiffened my resolve with a determined nod.

“I’ll do my best!”

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