Hi, I’m the Hero’s Father ～I’m Sorry For All The Trouble My Foolish Son Has Caused You～ - Chapter 71

Chapter 71   The Hero’s Father Takes on the Job

“—Wha?! Ouch…!”

“Oh, you’re awake.”

The young man had regained consciousness within minutes of being treated by the doctor, though he was rubbing his head, tears in his eyes—clearly, his head hurt more than the rest of his body. The doctor examined him carefully, then smiled warmly.

“Bed rest is essential, especially for your head. Lord Croix has always struggled with holding back.”

“This time, I did hold back.”

“Heh heh heh. Indeed, compared to the time you punched Neptune-sama in the face and put her in a coma for a whole day, it seems you’ve improved considerably.”

“Is that a jab?”

“Heh heh heh.”

The doctor chuckled as he walked away from them. Croix had always found this doctor difficult to deal with—his personality was just too hard to grasp. But the young man seemed more shocked by what the doctor had said.

“Ne-Neptune? You mean the Queen? Y-you punched Her Majesty?! How are you not executed for that?!”

“Well, that’s a hard question to answer.”

At that time, Neptune had been incredibly arrogant, overconfident, and dismissive of humans. So, Croix had simply decided to make her understand—with his fists. Since then, Neptune had become infatuated with Croix’s strength and constantly tried to have children with him, which Croix tried to forget as he shook his head and sat down on a chair next to the bed.

“Sorry for hitting you. Just rest for now.”

“…Why…?”

“Hm?”

“…Why did you help me? You could’ve just ignored it.”

“I just can’t stand guys like them. They make me sick.”

Croix was not a hero of justice.
But he hadn’t lost his humanity to the point of turning a blind eye to blatant evil or bullying.
If it was within his ability to help, he would. That was all there was to it.

“…Thanks for saving me. Honestly, you really helped.”

“Don’t mention it. But tell me, why were you treated like that? Judging by how things looked, it wasn’t the first time, was it?”

At Croix’s question, the young man lowered his gaze.
As expected, it seemed to be something that happened regularly.
Indeed, the young man’s body was slender for a fishman. In addition to bruises, there were cuts and gouges on his body.
These were clearly wounds that had been there for months.

“I heard about it, but is it really just because you’re weak?”

“……”

A silent affirmation. His pride probably wouldn’t let him put it into words.
Sensing this, Croix didn’t press further.

“I’m sorry, but I can’t stay here forever. If I see something, I can help, but I won’t be able to keep saving you every time.”

“No one asked you to!”

He had his pride as a knight.
He had been training twice as hard as anyone else to someday escape this situation with his own strength.
Yet, whether it was due to a lack of talent or his build, he could never land a single strike.
The frustration grew stronger day by day.

As he unconsciously clenched his blanket tightly, Croix, noticing this, crossed his arms.

“Let me ask you—why are you so fixated on being a knight? Why endure pain and insults just to cling to this title? Frankly, at this rate, it wouldn’t be surprising if you were killed.”

Even if they didn’t intend to kill, accidents happen, especially among the inexperienced.
Those three were just swinging their swords wildly, without any thought to holding back or the risk of death.
Croix’s question was reasonable.

The young man lowered his head, clenched his fists, and trembled slightly.

“…My family was killed by sea bandits. My parents, grandparents, my little sister… I want revenge on them, no matter what.”

“Sea bandits? The moray eels?”

“No.”

Apparently not.

“The sea bandits are a bunch of outlaws who were exiled from Dipsea. There are over a few hundred of them. Their base seems to be on land, outside the reach of Lady Neptune’s power.”

“I see. So, you plan to use the Royal Army’s power against them?”

At Croix’s murmur, the young man nodded.
His thinking wasn’t wrong.
To fight a pack, you needed a pack. It made sense.

And if the enemy was causing trouble at sea, it was understandable that Neptune’s Royal Army, which ruled the seas, would be the one to deal with it.
But that was a different matter entirely.

If he died, there would be no revenge. Even if he didn’t die, there was a chance he could be left with permanent injuries.
From Croix’s perspective, it didn’t seem like the young man was ready for that level of commitment.

But then again, Croix had no right to stop him.
Still, he couldn’t just stand by and watch in silence.

“…If you’re willing, would you like me to train with you for a while?”

“…Huh?”

“As things stand, you’re almost certainly heading toward a pointless death. Now that I know your situation, I can’t just turn a blind eye.”

Croix extended his hand to the young man.
It was rugged and large—a hand that belonged to a strong warrior.

“Unfortunately, I’m on a journey myself. At most, I can only stay for a month. If you’re fine with a limited time, I can teach you how to fight.”

“………”

The young man recalled the air bullet fired from a flick of Croix’s finger, the punch that clearly conveyed its power to his body, and the story of how Croix had knocked Neptune out. He could believe it. He could imagine it.
There was no need for further thought.

“…Dona. My name is Dona.”

“I’m Croix. Nice to meet you, Dona.”