WeTried Translations
Translator/Editor: Natty
Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried
◈ Copy Skills with Affinity! ◈
Chapter 9: Death Wish (2)
──────
Why the Second Princess of the Holy Empire was making even more of a play for him, he had no idea. Still, he had things to do.
The first step was to find Noel first thing the next morning.
His every move was monitored here. Given her abilities, it would be impossible for him to move around in secret anyway.
“You want to go out?”
“I don't think I said anything that strange...?”
Aiden asked blankly at Noel's narrowed-eyed question.
People could go out sometimes. There was no need to look at him as though he had said something so outrageous.
“Um, are you dissatisfied with your current living situation?”
“What?”
“If there is anything you need, please tell me. If it is within my power, I will provide it.”
“No, I'm not uncomfortable, but...”
Honestly, loafing around beside Noel at the military headquarters every day while she worked was torture. To anyone looking, he was no different from a live-in son-in-law.
When he explained that much,
“...Wouldn't that be a good thing for you, Aiden?”
“...”
“Even when you do nothing, I pay you regularly, and your food, clothing, and housing are all taken care of.”
“...”
True.
It was a strange thing to offer as an excuse.
As Aiden stood there silently, Noel let out a deep sigh and swept back her hair.
“I was not planning to keep you confined in the headquarters forever, so I do not mind... But please take an escort with you if possible.”
“An escort?”
“Of course, considering the ability you have shown, I do not think you will be easily harmed. But you have a way of attracting incidents and accidents.”
“...”
“So honestly, I am reluctant to let you go out at all.”
He agreed.
He was the one who wanted to escape that tendency most of all.
“...I'm only going out for some air. Wouldn't an escort be too cumbersome?”
But considering what he was about to do outside, taking an escort was not a very good idea.
It was not as though he was going somewhere he could be proud of.
“No, you should still have an escort...”
“I need some time alone.”
“...”
It was an excuse that sounded like it came from a married man exhausted after more than ten years of marriage, but Noel only sighed without objecting.
After all, she really had been at his side almost all day.
“Then go ahead.”
Still, he had not expected her to grant permission so quickly.
Aiden blinked at her easy answer.
“No guards, no surveillance. Go do whatever you want. But take this with you.”
With that, Noel handed Aiden something.
It was a switch about half the size of his palm, shaped like a personal safety alarm.
“What is this?”
“A tracking device. You must not run away before the wedding.”
“...”
“I am joking.”
“...I wasn't going to run away in the first place.”
Even if he did, it felt like Noel would chase him to the ends of the earth.
Satisfied by his response, Noel gave a faint smile and continued.
“It is a signal device. Press it if you are in even the slightest danger. I will come running immediately.”
“...That much?”
Aiden knew better than anyone how overworked Noel was.
Every item on her desk had a major impact on governing the country. Was he important enough for her to abandon all of that?
“I brought you here, so it is also my responsibility to return you safely when our contract ends. It is not ‘that much.’ It is only natural.”
Aiden looked at Noel with slightly widened eyes as she spoke and turned her gaze back to her documents.
‘...This person.’
Other than the fact that she had kidnapped him without warning, she truly did take responsibility seriously.
The way she worried over every detail despite having abducted him was almost parental.
“Thank you.”
She was a good person.
The thought suddenly came to him.
▣
“Dad, I've been kidnapped by a strange person.”
...Of course, once someone had kidnapped you in the first place, it was hard to give her any other assessment.
The first thing he did upon leaving the headquarters was call his family.
[What are you talking about now?]
His father's startled voice came through the receiver.
[Did you borrow money from some mafia thugs? I told you not to get involved with criminals like that...]
“Dad, you and I are criminals too.”
It was hard to believe that someone who said such ordinary, law-abiding things made a living through theft.
Just like the man who had raised Aiden from childhood to never swim in waters too deep for him.
Aiden sighed and continued.
“I was kidnapped, but it isn't that serious. I was kidnapped somewhere warm and comfortable, with food in my belly and money in my pocket.”
[...What does that even mean?]
“Things like that exist. I can't tell you right now, but surprisingly, it's all true. I'm living like this in the most expensive district of the Imperial Capital.”
[Can't they kidnap me too?]
...And this was his father.
Still, if his father knew where Aiden was right now, he would probably faint from shock. Aiden would tell him later, once everything had been settled, like it was some heroic tale.
“More importantly, Dad.”
And unreliable as his father was,
there were still things Aiden could trust him with.
“Do you know anyone in the Imperial Capital's black market?”
For a moment, silence came through the receiver. Then he heard a heavy sigh.
[Are you going to work there too?]
“I need to gather some information. I don't have any connections here, so I need an introduction. Where should I go?”
[Billy Hagan at the tool shop. The password is ‘crescent moon and sun.’]
Even if his father was only a petty thief from the back alleys, decades of making a living that way had built him an absurd network through work.
Aiden snickered.
“That is cute. Got it.”
[Aiden.]
“Yeah?”
[Be careful. Do not forget that Sissela and I are always on your side. If anything happens, make sure you tell your family.]
“...I know.”
These people would be on Aiden's side until the end of the world.
That was why he struggled like this.
So he could live peacefully with his father and younger sister again.
“...Haa.”
And truly.
The place he was walking through now was somewhere that more than deserved to be called a struggle.
The Imperial Capital's underworld had an atmosphere as vicious as its name suggested. No matter where he looked, everyone had the air of someone with something to hide.
Even so, he had come all the way here for one reason.
‘The First Act begins here.’
The First Act, Imperial Capital Rift, was the story of a major disturbance and rebellion that arose within the Empire's capital. That much he knew for certain.
He also knew what he had to pay attention to first.
‘A large number of illegally distributed weapons will flood the black market.’
Naturally, a large-scale disturbance and rebellion required a trained army, and the supplies to arm it would not fall from the sky.
They would normally be smuggled in through shadowy routes.
The First Act began when the “protagonist” became entangled in an incident related to those illegally distributed weapons.
“...”
Yes. The protagonist.
Figures such as Noel and the Second Princess of the Holy Empire, described in the system window as the most important people in the scenario, were “most important” because they were connected to the protagonist. They were not the protagonist themselves.
The center of this world, the person who moved the axis of the entire game's story. The savior who would eventually save the world.
Someone like that had to be somewhere.
They had to exist.
‘That person is my express ticket out of this scenario.’
What Aiden needed to do now was find that person and dump every burden placed on him onto their shoulders.
An extra like him had to disappear and put the person meant to shine on the stage.
All that troublesome business about being the Lionheart's Groom and saving the world.
To do that, he needed at least a rough idea of what would happen in the next few days.
If this world had a protagonist, they would surely be involved wherever such things happened.
‘...’
But.
What if there was no one?
What if, just as the material he had found before had not revealed them, they did not exist at all...
‘...No, I still don't know for certain.’
Was that not why he had come here in the first place? To confirm it?
‘This is it.’
Lost in thought, he arrived at his destination.
Billy's Workshop. It was an exceedingly plain name for a black market tool shop.
When he stepped inside, a middle-aged man who did not look remotely interested in greeting customers regarded him lazily.
“Crescent moon and sun.”
At the password, the shopkeeper scratched his cheek and replied.
“Information costs fifty gold. What do you want to know?”
“I'll give you five hundred gold, so dig up everything you can on this.”
Aiden placed a bundle of papers he had prepared in advance on the counter.
It concerned weapons circulating through the black market. Once he understood the general flow, he could easily form a rough picture of the transaction sites, sellers, and buyers.
The shopkeeper flipped through the papers and scanned them. Then he gave a nasal snort and a derisive laugh.
“You're digging into information that'll get you killed. I guess danger suits you?”
“...I don't have a choice.”
“What a shame.”
The irony of having to put himself in the middle of such a situation in order to avoid it.
As Aiden wiped away imaginary tears, the man asked another question.
“How long do you need?”
“As soon as possible. How long will it take?”
“Tomorrow will be enough. Keep your promise about the five hundred gold.”
Just as expected of one of his father's acquaintances. The man could be trusted to get the job done.
Aiden nodded, then wandered around the shop while the man moved the papers from the counter to his workbench.
The tool shop in the Imperial Capital's black market clearly carried far more merchandise than the magical tool shops in the outskirts where Aiden usually operated.
The object that caught his eye at once was proof enough.
‘...Why are they selling something like this on the black market?’
As someone in the business, Aiden immediately knew what they were.
A magic stone-powered adjustable mask and a voice modulator.
They were perfect tools for crime, but originally they had been research projects at government agencies. They had no business sitting openly in a place like this. They were certainly premium goods that could only be found in the Imperial Capital.
“Buying? I guarantee the quality, but there is no haggling.”
“...I don't have the money.”
In truth, Noel had given him a rather generous “contract payment,” so he had a fair amount of money on hand. Even so, there would probably be no need for him to use things like these anytime soon.
It was not easy to imagine a situation where he would need to deceive someone even while in his current position.
“...”
That was, unless the sight outside the window caught his eye.
“...?”
Aiden craned his neck to look at what was happening just in front of the shop.
Something about it felt familiar.
There was a scene over there that he felt he should not simply leave alone...
“...!”
The moment he clearly recognized it,
his eyes slowly widened.
- System Message
▶ A “Sub Quest” has been assigned.
▶ A penalty will be imposed upon failure.
▶ Would you like to view the details? [Y/N]
The moment he saw the message that appeared alongside the scene, Aiden's face turned completely pale.
‘...No.’
No.
No, surely not.
There was no way this was the situation he thought it was.
With trembling eyes, Aiden checked the details of the “Sub Quest.”
“...”
He rubbed his face with vacant eyes.
‘...I don't want to live.’
Considering what he had to do now, it was a natural reaction.
“I have a question.”
“What is it?”
“How much is this?”
Aiden pointed to the mask and voice modulator he had just waved off as too expensive.
▣
By its nature, the black market drew all kinds of people, but everyone knew there were certain things best avoided.
For example, standing out, carrying valuables, or arriving unguarded...
In that respect,
this small girl was like prey bleeding profusely among a school of sharks.
She looked like someone who would best be described as far too precious to be in a place like this.
Her tailored suit was clearly the work of a master craftsman. Her gloves and boots matched perfectly, and selling just one of those items would easily cover an ordinary person's monthly living expenses.
No matter how one looked at her, she did not belong here.
“Going around dressed like that will not end well, little miss.”
And when such elements came together, people like these appeared as surely as iron filings were drawn to a magnet.
A group of thugs with lewd smiles. Each held a weapon that was not especially high quality, though some of them carried small firearms such as pistols.
For ordinary people without special abilities, that alone was a good enough reason to see them and look away. Besides, this was the black market, a lawless zone to begin with. A sight like this was not worth anyone's attention.
Indeed, as the group surrounded the girl, no one showed any interest in interfering.
“This is not a place you can casually stroll around in wearing such fine clothes. Did you come here without even knowing what this place is?”
“The black market?”
“...”
The almost cheerful reply left the man who had spoken at a loss for words.
Her tone made it sound as though she had gone out for a picnic after lunch.
“...I didn't think you would be foolish enough to come here knowingly. What were you thinking, coming all the way here...”
“I came for a hobby.”
The answer was so far off track that the thugs all stared blankly.
“What?”
“It is my first time visiting the Imperial Capital's black market. I have been to the back alleys in my hometown many times, though.”
The girl still wore a bright smile.
“Could you help me? I think people like you would do nicely.”
The thugs exchanged looks. Soon, snickers began spilling out among them.
“Sure. We will help you. Of course we will. Why don't we go over there first and hear what you need help with?”
As he spoke, one of them pointed to an especially secluded alley in the black market.
In his mind, he was probably already stripping this girl of every possession, then taking her hostage and squeezing every last coin from her undoubtedly wealthy parents.
And even with such a desperate crisis before her, the girl's smile only grew brighter.
She looked genuinely glad to have found people who would “help” her.
“Let us talk it over slowly, yes? We have plenty of time from now on...”
He continued with an expression that failed to hide his delight, but the sentence was cut off when someone gripped his shoulder hard.
“Who the hell is that?!”
The man turned with a hostile snarl, only to flinch.
The man holding his shoulder looked like a nightmare.
His skin was uneven as if someone had painstakingly carved it with a knife. A scar ran from his forehead to his neck. He had a hooked nose, only one eye, and half his lip had been cut away somewhere.
It was such overwhelming ugliness that even a hardened criminal who had seen it all would turn pale at first sight.
“Get lost.”
Even his voice had a bizarre tone, like a knife scraping across an iron plate. It was enough to make every man gathered there step back just from hearing it.
“W-What? You want to fight, you bastard...”
“Don't make me say it twice.”
His voice dropped another level.
As that horrible face drew closer, someone let out a frightened squeak.
“Last warning. Get lost.”
“...”
It was clearly an impassioned speech powerful enough to move hearts.
Every thug there understood its message and responded by scattering without a word and fleeing for their lives.
“You too.”
Then the man with such eloquent words turned toward the girl as if spitting the phrase out.
“Go home already. This is no place for someone like you.”
With that, he turned sharply away without hesitation.
He had done what he came to do and was clearly ready to leave.
“Mister.”
But a voice immediately caught him by the nape.
“You know who I am, don't you?”
His hands and feet felt frozen as Aiden, still in disguise, slowly stopped walking.
“...What do you mean...”
“You did not come to save me, did you?”
“...”
“It is pretty obvious.”
It was undoubtedly the right answer.
The ones Aiden had stepped in to save were not the seemingly defenseless girl, but the armed thugs.
More precisely, when he considered who this girl was.
Sub Quest
▶ Make contact with “Deathwish,” Katia Heinkel Craven.
▶ Resolve the situation as peacefully as possible.
▶ If you handle the current situation smoothly, the target's favorability toward you will increase significantly!
▶ A penalty will be imposed upon failure!
...Those men had been putting their necks into a lion's mouth, and Aiden had grabbed them by the napes and pulled them out.
“That will not do. Things were just about to get fun, and you ruined it all.”
“...”
“Those men could have been dealt with as ‘self-defense.’ Right?”
With her hands behind her back and that same bright smile on her face,
the girl approached Aiden with small, quick steps.
Her voice was as lovely as jade beads rolling over a tray, but Aiden felt as if his blood vessels were shriveling just from hearing it.
“What are you going to do?”
“...What exactly do you want me to do?”
“You need to take responsibility. You ruined my leisure activity.”
“...”
“I had some spare time after coming all the way to the Empire, so I made time and found such a good opportunity.”
Damn it.
Damn it all.
As Aiden repeated those words internally, the girl continued with the same bright smile.
He remembered that face.
The Second Princess of the Holy Empire.
One of the most important core figures on the Holy Empire's side of the main scenario.
And such a person was saying,
“Will you keep me company and talk for a while?”
in a completely casual tone.
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