WeTried Translations
Translator/Editor: Irevi
Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried
◈ Alone Against the Tower ◈
Chapter 91: What Was Inherited
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I didn't have any skill for interrogating people.
But Mercedes looked like she wanted to say something, so it didn't take long to persuade her.
“It’s all because of you. Because of you, His Highness changed...!”
Naturally, the story began with resentment directed at me. I let most of it go in one ear and out the other.
“His Highness was originally a gentle man who loved peace. Fighting and conflict never suited his nature.”
“Him? The guy who declared war?”
“You can spout that nonsense because you know nothing about His Highness! He wasn't originally like this!”
I had ignored her insults just fine, but the idea was so ridiculous that I immediately interrupted her. I shouldn't have done that.
Mercedes, properly provoked by my interruption, began going on about how gentle and kind that prince was.
I mostly tuned that out too, but even from what I heard, it was obvious she was looking at him through rose-colored glasses.
Still, she probably wasn't entirely wrong.
Eleanor, who liked brave types, had always mocked him for being weak and frail.
“But after ascending the throne, His Highness changed as if he were a completely different person. Even his eyes became entirely different.”
“His intelligent, shining eyes lost their light and conveyed only the dry emotions that reminded me of the previous king.”
“In the past, His Highness said every day that he would somehow bring this tiresome conflict to an end...!”
So, to sum it up, he became a completely different person the moment he inherited the throne.
“His Highness said my defeat in the duel against you was the beginning of the war, then issued an order to exile me.”
Just as expected. She was kicked out after he used the duel as an excuse.
“I tried everything I could to bring His Highness back, but I only know how to wield a sword... There was nothing I could do.”
“Maybe he just showed his true colors after becoming king. He got rid of you because you annoyed him.”
“How many times must I tell you that His Highness is not that kind of person?! Humans really are rotten right down to their brains!”
Who was she talking about brains? Wasn't this the natural conclusion for anyone with a functioning brain?
“His Highness already... told me he would not hold me responsible for the duel.”
Mercedes continued while touching her severed ear.
“He said he was glad I wasn't hurt worse, that I shouldn't worry about losing, and that he would find a way to restore my ear...”
Her blue eyes looked as if she missed the past.
“He said that if he couldn't find a way within a hundred years, he would take responsibility...”
Mercedes's voice became tiny. A faint blush spread across her face.
Oh, give me a fucking break.
The two of them had been building some grand thousand-year love story. It would probably get a great reaction on the Community's story-sharing board.
Still, I could roughly understand it now. I thought I knew why she resented me so much.
Mercedes probably didn't truly believe it was my fault. It was a kind of escapism.
By choosing a single target and obsessing over it, she was trying to bury her emotions.
I understood that feeling.
Of course I did.
But that kind of escape made it difficult to face the real problem. The reason the prince changed was obvious.
He inherited the throne.
The moment I reached that conclusion, a quest notification appeared before me as if it had been waiting.
* * *
[Epic: Dark Elf's Letter - The Queen's Command]
Description: During a hundred years of war, the Dark Elves have gradually been pushed into a disadvantage.
The human kingdom, whose people learn and grow quickly, has become incomparably stronger than it was a hundred years ago.
Perhaps it is because Dark Elves who like humans have begun to hesitate when fighting the Kingdom Army.
On top of that, the arrogant and insolent High Elves are aggressively attacking them as well, leaving the Dark Elves no time to rest.
This is even more so for the queen, who commands the war and bears responsibility for everything.
Through your independent actions, you have acquired suspicious information about the force behind this war.
If you investigate it thoroughly, you may be able to lessen the burden weighing on the queen's shoulders.
(Warning: This quest is extremely difficult. A party of at least 25 is recommended.)
[Quest Objectives]
1. Uncover the secret.
2. Reveal the mastermind.
3. End the war.
* * *
I found Eleanor and told her exactly what I had heard from Mercedes.
Once I removed the unnecessary details, it was a simple story, so it didn't take long.
“It is certainly strange. More than the declaration of war, it is very strange that he exiled his own First Knight.”
Even Eleanor, who had known the prince and Mercedes for a long time whether she liked it or not, said that.
“But you want to see it with your own eyes? What does that mean?”
Eleanor asked me with a stiff expression as she looked at me, already prepared to leave.
“It means exactly what it sounds like. I need to see him myself.”
I intended to infiltrate High Elf territory and see that prince's face for myself.
The updated quest objectives and description made it clear that this would be the end of the long Faction Quest.
If that was the case, there was no reason to hesitate anymore. I would clear the quest using the simplest and fastest method.
“It's too dangerous. Even for you, going into their territory alone is...!”
Eleanor shouted, her brow deeply furrowed.
It was different from the worried expression she occasionally showed. She looked more irritated than worried.
“I'm not going alone.”
But I had no intention of going in alone, as Eleanor said.
“I decided to go with Mercedes. It seems she was frustrated about that prince too.”
There was no need for a grand attempt at persuasion. Mercedes still seemed to be looking for a way to bring the prince back.
She said she didn't want to join forces with humans, but for His Highness, she could even join hands with a demon.
If we infiltrated through the route Mercedes told me about, we could see that prince's face with hardly any fighting.
Honestly, if Mercedes and I truly worked together, a frontal assault wasn't completely hopeless either.
Seeing his face wouldn't solve anything, but if we caught him and poked him with a sword, wouldn't he spill every secret he had?
“But, but...”
Eleanor, uncharacteristically, fumbled for words with an uncertain look. She looked worse than ever.
Now that I thought about it, she had been like that all along. I had kept sleeping with her whenever she wanted, yet the starlight in Eleanor's eyes only grew dimmer.
She seemed to sleep well, but she always looked tired. Her old carefree confidence was nowhere to be seen.
And today was the worst it had been. No matter how much I thought about it, I didn't know why.
“No, it's nothing. How could I stop you?”
Eleanor struggled with herself for a while, then spoke in a weak voice.
She looked so pitiful that I almost said, “I won't go.”
“...”
No, I shouldn't worry about it. No matter how human she seemed, she was ultimately just an empty shell without a Soul.
It was ridiculous to abandon such an important quest because I was worried about a Non-Player Character.
I had vowed never to stop.
* * *
I returned Mercedes's equipment, charged the Pendant, and immediately set out.
At first, I was a little concerned, but a green Console indicating friendliness was clearly floating above Mercedes's head.
It was safe to think she had definitely joined my side. The system was always honest.
“This place has changed a lot too.”
The depths of the Great Forest, which I was visiting for the first time since the fight on the seventh floor, had also been completely reshaped by the war.
The nature the High Elves supposedly valued so dearly had all been cut away, while wide roads and watchtowers had been conspicuously built everywhere.
“His Highness personally ordered the changes. He even cut down the apple tree that held our memories without hesitation.”
Mercedes spoke about old memories again with a crumpled expression. I wasn't interested, so I let it pass.
As she kept talking, she eventually began cursing the human Kingdom Army, which could be called the cause of the war.
“They had no respect for the World Tree at all. Their greed-driven claims to territorial rights were... truly barbaric.”
Then, the sound of many footsteps came from the distance.
Both Mercedes and I had extremely sharp senses, so we soon recognized who they belonged to.
“Looks like they heard you talking shit about them.”
A Kingdom Army unit targeting the High Elf camp had infiltrated this far. They were probably a sizable elite force.
“Hmph. This works out well. You're fighting on Eleanor's side anyway, aren't you? Shall we thin out the enemy here before we go?”
“Are you crazy? We're supposed to be infiltrating. Why fight some unrelated bastards here?”
“What do you take my skills for? I can cut down ordinary human soldiers without making a sound.”
She must have suffered quite a lot after being exiled. Her personality was completely different from what it had been on the seventh floor.
“Someone who talked big about her skills, fought with her hands behind her back, and got her ass kicked suddenly comes to mind.”
“...”
“Get a grip. Aren't you thinking about your precious His Highness?”
Mercedes immediately fell silent and quietly sheathed the sword she had drawn. Now she was finally making sense.
We left the Kingdom Army soldiers alone and began infiltrating the High Elf royal castle.
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