Chapter 2: Yuuji a “Loner-NEET” Evolves into “NEET”
Part 8. Yuuji, Take Up Alice, the Little Girl from Another World, as His Stepsister
「Alice do you know what your village is called and how to get there from this place?」(Yuuji)
「Hmm... ah, the village is called Anfore Village! Alice doesn’t know how to get there though. Since Alice didn’t memorize the direction when running....」(Alice)
「Uh, it’s ok Alice! You can remember your village name! Alice is amazing!」(Yuuji)
While calming Alice who sometimes got depressed, Yuuji repeatedly asked her questions.
Where is this place? Where are human habitations located? These were the things Yuuji had been anxious about in his heart.
Nevertheless, he couldn’t simply ask the little girl while she had wounds in her heart. His patience in waiting until after she had finally calmed down could be praised.
“Woof!” Well, every time Yuuji wanted to ask a question, Kotarou would bark,
“Let’s wait a little longer!” (Kotarou)
And stopped Yuuji.
It seems that this forest didn’t have a proper name and was only referred to as『Great Forest』. And, the Anfore Village where Alice used to live, and also a city were located in the middle of the forest.
The fact that he could go to a human habitation without leaving the forest was something Yuuji really didn’t expect.
「Etto ne[1], as this place is a frontear, the feudal lord said to Alice’s papa and everyone in the village, for everyone to work hard to make their home in here!」[2]
Maybe she means 『Frontier』? Yuuji understood that the village and the city were established as the pioneering people came to this great forest to open it up. Although he was worried since the word 『Feudal Lord』 came up.
「Alice, is feudal lord a noble? If there is feudal lord then this is a country right? Do you know the name of the highest ruler?」(Yuuji)
Yuuji relentlessly pressed the little girl for an answer
Alice furrowed her brow and held her chin with her hand, she was deep in thought.
「Etto ne, feudal lord is knait. Alice doesn’t really know about the country, but the highest ruler is the kink! Alice doesn’t know his name..... Since Alice doesn’t know, does this mean Alice isn’t a good girl?.......」(Alice)
「That’s not true! Since you know that feudal lord is knait, the highest ruler is kink! Alice is so knowledgeable! It’s admirable!」(Yuuji)
Yuuji was frantically trying to soothe her. However, the words “knowledgeable” came from his honest feeling. It’s different from a 6 year old in Japan where Yuuji came from since this girl was a 6 years old that lived in a village in this another world. He didn’t know the level of literacy or knowledge, but the Alice in his house was a genius, or at least that was what Yuuji had thought. His affection greatly changed.
Most likely kink was 『King』 and knait was 『Knight』. So this meant that this place was a Kingdom with an aristocratic system, maybe Alice’s village and the city were a domain of a knight, that was what Yuuji had conjectured.
「From the Anfore Village where Alice live before, how far is it from the city? Where there any arge landmarks in Anfore Village or the city?」(Yuuji)
「Papa had said before that a full day’s walk from the village was needed to reach the city! But, Papa and Mama said that since Alice is still small and can’t walk too far, Alice can’t go to the city yet. In the village there’s a big plaza, when the peddler uncles came there were a lot of stalls! Also, when it’s autumn there’s a harvest festival! Because Alice never went to the city, Alice doesn’t really know....」(Alice)
Since it seemed Alice became depressed, he consoled her for a while.
「Do you know if Anfore Village or the city is near a mountain or a river?」(Yuuji)
「Alice knows about it! Near the city is a bridge, when it’s night the bridge disappeared and becomes a river! Papa said that it’s strange! Also, behind the city is a flowing river!」(Alice)
「Aaaaaaa! Alice is amazing, amazing! So, the city is near the river! You really know a lot Alice! Nice job Alice!」(Yuuji)
Yuuji put both of his hands on Alice and then lifted her up high and higher to express his delight. Alice was also giggling in high spirits, while Kotarou was cheerfully jumping around, “Nicely done!”
Yuuji had already seen the river before. From the house it was about one day away by foot. From there the river was flowed towards the south.
「The river bank had dense trees and I don’t know if there are any fantasy creatures in the middle of the river, although I had given up at that time, it looks like the river is the correct answer. Thanks Alice! Do your best to recover your physical strength, and then let’s go to the city together! The knowledgeable Alice is admirable!」(Yuuji)
「Really? Alice is admirable? Alice is good girl?」(Alice)
「Yes! Alice is an admirably good girl!」(Yuuji)
Yuuji put Alice down and petted her head. Kotarou was licking Alice’s cheek as if praising her.
「Since Alice is a good girl, then Alice can meet with Papa, Mama, Basil-oniichan, and Charles-oniichan right? Ano ne[3], even if Alice is a good girl, the thieves came. Maybe Alice is still not a good girl, so, Alice will be a more good girl, a-alo-alone is lonely, but, Alice will work hard, work hard, and when Alice becomes a good girl, then Papa, Mama, Onii will be....」(Alice)
“Aa, is this what it feels like to have your heart ripped to shreds?” Yuuji pondered while hugging the sobbing Alice closely. Kotarou also rubbed her body against Alice.
If you think about it, it was strange. Her family was attacked, and she was rescued by a stranger, yet she didn’t show any selfishness like other six year old children and she also didn’t say anything about her family. She might have overexerting herself by putting a front to laugh and being cheerful.
「Yes, yes, very admirable, Alice is a good girl, a hard worker.」(Yuuji)
While he was hugging her, Yuuji also shed his tears.
Even so, Yuuji couldn’t say that she will be able to meet her family. He couldn’t possibly say it.
After a short time had passed, Yuuji put his hand on Alice who had stopped crying and fixed his eyes on her’s.
「Alice, I don’t know if we will be able to meet with your parents in the city. But, if you like, can’t I also become a part of Alice’s family? Can’t I become an oniichan for Alice?」(Yuuji)
「Oniichan? Yuuji-nii become oniichan?」(Alice)
「Yes, I will be Alice’s oniichan. I’m maybe much older than Basil-oniichan and Charles-oniichan? So I’m the eldest oniichan. Alice and I are a family. How about it?」(Yuuji)
「Un! If it Yuuji-nii hen it’s good! Alice now has three oniichans!」
Yuuji would never be able to say if Alice can meet with her family again.
The bandits that attacked the village, the second brother who ran together with her decided to become a decoy might have realized at the last moment, did he get captured? Or killed? It wouldn’t end without harm.
Most likely, Alice had already lost her family and is already alone, just like himself, alone in another world.
Even thought it was just a fake one, Yuuji had resolute determination to become her family.
Thus in this way, Yuuji was able to secure the important information about human habitation together with a stepsister.
And now, these two siblings’ daily life will begin!
“Woof!”
And now, these two siblings’ and a dog’s daily life will begin!
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Random Translator Notes (You can safely skip it, go to green to read the real footnote):
In translating, there are two main side of translation:
The first is Purist (literal translation or metaphrase), that hold fidelity or faithfulness to the source text without distortion as the most important. So a Japanese text still retained their Japanese flavor in their choice of words and long or weird sentence ordering, that sometimes if done badly, screamed Engrish!
The second is Free (sense translation or paraphrase), that hold transparency or idiomatic and churned out a translated text that appears to a native speaker as if it was something originally been written in that language, and conforms to its grammar, syntax and idiom. All kind of Japanese sentence hint had been obliterated and replaced by solid-understandable English.
But there was also the ‘heretic way’
The third despised way: the Adaptation: Rewriting the story while still had the same general cast of character or important sequence of plot, while the rest was mainly rewritten by the adaptation. So, while Yuuji still battle the goblins with Kotarou in Chapter 1 Part 8, the details will majorly different, like the goblins will be 40s carrying sword etc, Yuuji will surrounded from all side but Kotarou saves the day by impacting he goblins so hard that the ground gouged out and leave a 5 meters crater.... etc.
(Fun Fact: Most Medieval ‘translator’ was actually do adaptation that sometime change the story greatly to cater what the people fancy of)
I tend to lean on purist, why?
Since my English language fluency was only so-so and I’m not a native speaker, any attempt of me to turn it into ‘natural English’ will still end as unnatural since I don’t know many of English idiom or slang, or any cultural ties related into it.
Also I’m a guy who play all JRPG undubbed (like Nippon Ichi published games), since I like to observe how character relate to each other (by pronoun and honorifics) and their personality (by their way of talking and word choice).
[1] Etto ne, えっとね, had a meaning of: You see, ummm, etc. In essential asking for the listener to listen to the speaker. Since this phrase appears a lot in game and anime, mainly usedby female, so I choose to leave it undisturbed.... Just imagine Alice as Hina from “Papa no iukoto wo kikinasai!”
[2] In case you asking: Alice mainly used hiragana to talk and rarely used kanji, this is how Japanese writer simulate “children talk”.... So I made Alice “misspelled” the words o represent her unfamiliarity with the word.
[3] Ano neあのね, had a meaning: if I should tell you something, I say, etc. Express the speaker want to tell something to the listener in familiar/casual way... Also mainly used by female....