DLBF Chapter 34

Chapter 34 – Truths to the Legend

Chapter 3, Part 1.2

Novel Title: ルーデンドルフ公と森の獣 (Duke Ludendorff and the Beast of the Forest)

Author：かわい有美子 (Kawai Yumiko)

Illustrator: 周防佑未 (Suoh Yuumi)

Translator: K (@kin0monogatari)

Protagonists: 藤森賢士 (Kenji Fujimori -MC), ユリアン ルーデンドルフ (Julian Ludendorff -ML)

*Please read at Novels Space.space, the original site of translation. TQ*

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“The werewolf I’m referring to is a being that can actually change between human and wolf form.”

Whether or not to believe it, under normal circumstances, one wouldn’t. But Fujimori had seen and touched that long, bushy tail last night.

Rather than being told that an unknown wolf had been lying next to him, it was easier to believe that Julian had transformed.

More than anything, Julian himself seemed deeply depressed after being seen in that form last night. No matter how shy he might be, it wouldn’t make sense for him to be this down without a reason.

“There have been a few werewolves in my family line since long ago.”

“Without any particular pattern?”

“So far, there’s no known pattern. Before me, there was my great-grandfather’s younger brother, and then one person two generations before that, which is the most recent example.”

“Only men?”

“Yes, only men. There’s no record of women.”

“Is your great-grandfather’s brother still alive?”

“No, he was a born werewolf and volunteered for the front lines during the First World War, where he died.”

“I don’t really understand how being a werewolf would lead someone to volunteer for war…”

Fujimori tilted his head, wondering if he had misheard something.

“Although this occasionally appears in the Ludendorff family, a werewolf has never been a welcome presence in any era.”

“…Is that so?”

Fujimori hesitated, feeling he somewhat understood the nuance.

“Yes, after all, being a non-human entity, or rather, not a normal being, means that if it’s exposed to the outside world, it could endanger the entire family’s standing… You never know who might use it as an excuse to denounce the family…”

“Ah…”

It was a type of heresy in a different sense than religion. On the flip side, even within the family, having a werewolf was likely seen as something terrifying.

“There were also those whose personalities were so violent that they caused trouble for those around them. Some were killed by family members or died alone in confinement. It seems they all met unhappy endings.” Julian spoke in a somewhat detached voice.

“Unhappy… but what about you, Julian?”

The way Julian spoke, as if implying that he too was doomed to such a fate, made Fujimori ask instinctively.

“When I was born, the hospital diagnosed me with multiple congenital deformities, including hypertrichosis and cleft palate.”

“… What does that mean?”

“Since I was born in a form close to that of a beast, the doctors had no choice but to medically analyse it that way. My father quickly realised what my condition was from the stories passed down in our family. But it seems my mother found it hard to accept… Even as I grew up and started shifting back and forth between human and beast form, my mother, who knew what I truly was, couldn’t love me. I was slow to speak, and my movements were beast-like… I was more like a creature that shouldn’t exist as a human being…”

The confession that his mother disliked him was shocking. But Fujimori furrowed his eyebrows, wondering if that meant she couldn’t bring herself to love him.

Julian then made an even more startling confession.

“… I was also the cause of my parents’ divorce.”

“The cause?”

“Yes. After I was born, my parents’ relationship rapidly grew cold… and the direct cause of that was my existence…”

Julian spoke in a low voice. It was as if he had already resigned himself to this fact. His eyes were downcast.

“And your father?”

“My father didn’t exactly hate me. But it seemed he was at a loss about how to deal with me. After my mother left, perhaps because he was so busy with work, he rarely came home.”

Fujimori could imagine the situation. A chill ran through him.

It was clear that Julian’s occasional lonely expression stemmed from growing up in such an environment. This realisation made Fujimori’s heart ache even more.

“No one will ever love me.”

Julian’s voice, full of resignation, made Fujimori pause in thought before he finally spoke.

“…What about me?”

“Do you believe in me, Kenji?”

“Well, I did sleep with you last night, and I even touched your tail.”

“That’s true.”

Julian nodded, though his expression showed that he still didn’t fully trust Fujimori’s words.

Not satisfied with Julian’s reaction, Fujimori thought for a moment before speaking again.

“Do you remember the story I told you about the Japanese wolf?”

“Yes, that Japan used to have wolves… and that they are now extinct…”

“Whether you believe it or not is up to you. But there are still stories in various parts of Japan about them still being alive.”

Julian looked somewhat sceptical, with a sad expression. 

Or perhaps he felt sorrow for the species of wolf that had perished. It was hard to read his expression.

“I think werewolves are kind of like that.”

“Like that?”

“Yeah, it’s easy to say that the Japanese wolf must be extinct. But maybe, just maybe, they’re still quietly living somewhere. It’s said that the Japanese wolf might have been a separate subspecies from the continental grey wolf, like a medium-sized dog, so maybe they’ve been overlooked, mistaken for foxes or large weasels.”

Julian finally nodded at Fujimori’s impassioned words.

“Yes, maybe.”

“So, isn’t that the same for you, Julian? It’s easy to say, ‘There’s no such thing as werewolves’. But maybe it’s just that no one has scientifically confirmed their existence yet. There could be some reason they exist, right? Considering how famous they are, it’s entirely possible that someone has seen one in some form. Especially since I saw it with my own eyes.”

“A normal person would look at you like you’re crazy if you said something like that,” Julian muttered, almost as if he wasn’t expecting any understanding.

“Well, I am kind of a scholar… And scholars often discuss even more far-fetched things with a straight face.”

Julian nodded with a dry expression, though it was unclear how much he actually believed Fujimori. 

The gesture of crossing his arms hinted at psychological distance… This was a thought that fleetingly crossed Fujimori’s mind.

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*Translator’s Note: I would not have the heart to abandon my child if my child is a werewolf. Poor Julian… It’s so sad. -K

Next update: 2024.11.23

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