WeTried Translations

Translator: Joy

Editor: Joy

Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried

◈ Damned Transmigration

Chapter 10

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Rutlan (2)

In a world where gods are a tangible reality, humanity cannot form nations or crown kings. Society is instead organised around cities, which have taken the place of kingdoms and empires.

Of course, not all cities are equal; their standing is determined by a combination of factors, including size, population, economic might, and military power.

By any measure, Rutlan is a major metropolis.

It dwarfs a city like Oldor several times over, and its governance has been in the hands of prestigious, deep-rooted families who have maintained their power for centuries.

Three major powers hold sway in Rutlan.

There is the Dersia Mage Tower, led by Tower Master Heavenly Thunder Orca. Alongside them is the Namgung Family, one of the Five Great Eastern Families, which commands significant influence within the Righteous Heavenly Alliance.

Finally, and most importantly, is the Ascard Family.

Considered the de facto rulers of Rutlan and a powerful voice in the western Cartel, the Ascards have been the very backbone of the city's economy for generations.

Their influence was absolute, extending from the city’s politics to the very land itself.

Rutlan’s fertile grain belt owed its existence to the Ascards, who had invited high priests of the God of Earth and God of Plenty from the religious city-state of Union to bless the fields.

Their merchant guilds controlled nearly half of all goods flowing through the city, cementing their economic dominance.

‘How nostalgic.’

He had been worried that three decades might have changed things, but as he pieced together Yuri's memories with Elena's explanations, he realised the state of Rutlan was almost identical to the game he knew.

The Ascard family was still the undisputed power. Other families existed, of course, but even united they couldn't hope to challenge the authority of the Ascards, who stood as the Pride of the Cartel.

The other major players were just as he remembered them.

The Namgung Family, despite having settled in Rutlan over fifty years ago, were still regarded as classless outsiders by the city’s established elite.

The Dersia Mage Tower also remained unchanged, a true ivory tower that kept its distance from political struggles.

These lightning mages possessed enough power to unleash a massacre at will, but their chosen neutrality earned them immense respect.

In Rutlan, simply being a mage from Dersia was enough to guarantee a life free of inconvenience.

This system of patronage was why Elena had received a house as a gift upon reaching the 4th Circle.

It wasn't a personal present from Heavenly Thunder Orca, but rather a calculated gesture from the Ascard family to the Dersia Mage Tower. Part token of friendship, part strategic welfare.

This generosity extended far beyond individual gifts, as every year, the Ascards sent the Mage Tower an enormous donation, far exceeding its annual budget.

Mages accustomed to such prosperity were unlikely to ever turn against their patrons.

This shrewd use of wealth was precisely how the Ascard family had reigned as the masters of Rutlan for ages.

Having been in the city for only fifty years, the Namgung Family could never hope to compete with such deep-rooted financial power.

While it was true they held considerable sway in the Righteous Heavenly Alliance, their famed 'sword' was ultimately no threat to the Ascards.

It was strange to think that in the game, the true scale of the Ascard family's power was impossible to grasp.

The metropolis was rendered in graphics that were pathetic by modern standards, and the Ascards themselves, the so-called Pride of the Cartel, were little more than a convenient farming spot for experience and money once a player reached a high level.

[Here's a tip for making money while hunting mages from the Dersia Mage Tower: attack the Ascard family. The Ascard family's NPCs drop millions of cel by default, even the ones without names, and attacking them will always make mages from Dersia appear. If you kill the family head, Heavenly Thunder Orca shows up instantly.]

[You can hire a salsu from Salhomun and wait in front of the Mage Tower to force a fight with Heavenly Thunder Orca, but that's really inefficient for grinding honour, which has limited uses anyway. If you're aiming for the Hall of Honour, it's better to just farm the Ascards to get the money you need.]

This advice came from the most-viewed guide by THOR123, who was basically the father of all lightning mages in the game's community.

Yuri had even read it through a translator and tried it himself, and it turned out to be true.

‘Though it wasn't just mages from Dersia who showed up.’

In the game, the Ascard family might have been treated like walking treasure chests, but he knew he couldn't think of them that way in reality.

The house, a gift from the wealthy Ascard family, wasn't some grand mansion, but it was still incredible.

It was a two-story home with its own small garden, and Yuri could only stand there, staring blankly, until Elena followed him out of the carriage and tapped his shoulder.

“Why are you just standing there?”

“This is a nice house.”

The corner of Elena's mouth twitched at his sincere admiration.

She just shrugged, pulling her travel bags from the carriage with a bit of magic.

“Well, it’s pretty standard, isn’t it? It’s not mine forever, anyway. I have to give it back if I reach the 6th Circle.”

“But you’ll just get a new one.”

“How did you know that?”

“Seems obvious,” Yuri said.

“If they take away the house they gave you, they’ll have to give you a new one.”

He knew it was a house she could keep for the rest of her life, even if she never reached the 6th Circle.

Lee Su-hyeok had lived in a cheap studio at twenty-seven. Yuri, at twenty, had a room without even a kitchen or a bathroom. Yet here was Elena, the same age as him, living in a two-story house with a garden...

‘Guess it’s not easy to get a house in this world, either.’

As Yuri let out a quiet sigh, Haryeong approached him.

“Is it alright to just leave the carriage here?”

“Just leave it,” Elena answered for him.

“Someone will come and get it.”

“Don’t tell me you’re staying here too, Haryeong-nim?” Yuri asked.

“No. I will be at a nearby inn.”

“You’re so dedicated to your escort mission, but you’re not staying here? Is that alright?”

“If it were up to me, I would love to stay by Lady Elena’s side,” Haryeong said calmly.

“However, the young lady dislikes having her personal space invaded.”

'Then why am I allowed in?'

Yuri looked at Elena, completely baffled.

Haryeong nodded, as if she knew exactly what he was thinking.

“And yet, she insists on having you here, Yuri-nim. It’s a real mystery.”

“There are exceptions,” Elena cut in quickly.

“Besides, this whole escort mission only started because of a 4th-grade request I took. It was to protect me from dangers outside the city.”

“That is true,” Haryeong conceded.

“Although I do follow you when you travel within the city as well.”

“And who in Rutlan would dare touch a mage from the Dersia Mage Tower? You’d have to be crazy.”

“The world is full of crazy people,” Yuri pointed out.

“That... might be true,” Elena admitted with a glance at Haryeong.

“But it’s fine. I can protect myself.”

“Besides,” Elena continued, “the inn Haryeong is staying at isn't far. It's connected to the security magic, so she can respond immediately if there's an attack. And…”

“Alright, I get it.”

Yuri cut her off, seeing no need to listen to any more rambling excuses.

To his surprise, Elena let out a small sigh of relief.

“You don’t have a problem with living here with me, do you?” she asked, changing the subject.

“You’re the one who said you don’t like your personal space being invaded.”

“We used to sleep in the same room as kids, it’s fine.”

“We were ten,” he pointed out.

“What does that matter? It’s not like we’re sharing a room now. I told you, there are plenty of them.”

Deciding to end the conversation there, Elena reached for the mansion’s door. As she did, Yuri’s eyes tracked the mana that flowed from her hand and into the door itself.

‘I see.’

Now that he could perceive the flow of mana, he could also see the magic woven into the door. It was a web of intricate formulas.

Lacking the foundational knowledge, Yuri couldn't understand the formulas themselves, but he understood the principle: Elena's mana was the key that unlocked them.

That alone was enough. It meant that if he could just figure out how to reproduce the formula, he might be able to use the magic himself.

Of course, just knowing the formula wasn't the same as being able to solve the problem perfectly; it would take deeper understanding and a lot of practice.

Still, it was enough.

Moments like this made Yuri realise just how monstrous his potential was, with his transmigrator’s natural affinity for mana. And it was exactly why he had to be so careful.

“Then, I will draw up the new contract and visit tomorrow,” Haryeong said, bringing him back to the present.

“Do you have any plans to go out today?”

“I have to stop by the Mage Tower to file a report,” Elena replied.

“I see. In that case, I will see you tomorrow. Should I come at the usual time?”

“Yes.”

“That’s unexpected,” Haryeong remarked.

“I thought you would stay home for at least a week.”

“What’s so unexpected about it?”

Elena shot back, a little defensively.

“I may have brought Yuri with me, but I’m still a mage of the Dersia Mage Tower. Of course I have to go in every day.”

Her tone insisted it was the obvious thing to do, but Haryeong saw right through it.

She could sense that Elena secretly wanted to stay home. It couldn’t be helped, though. A 4th-Circle mage was obligated to report her achievements to the tower every quarter.

“Yes, I understand. I will see you tomorrow morning, then.”

Haryeong gave a slight nod and turned to leave.

Once she was gone, Elena’s attention turned to Yuri.

His outfit screamed ‘from the countryside’ to anyone who looked at him. It didn’t smell bad, but the clothes were so old and worn that they were an eyesore.

Naturally, she didn’t have any men’s clothes in the house.

“I’ll need to buy some things for you, too,” she announced.

“For me? I brought what I need.” He was thinking of his spare clothes and underwear.

“Throw them away,” Elena replied instantly.

“How many years have you been wearing those? You haven’t taken good care of them, either. Don’t tell me they were a gift or something you’re attached to?”

“No.”

They were just clothes the orphan Yuri had bought for himself, and it was true he hadn’t cared for them well.

This world had no washing machines, and while things like detergent or fabric softener might have existed, the orphan Yuri had never bothered with them.

He was the kind of man who handled all his laundry with a cheap bar of soap from Gordon’s general store.

The current Yuri was no different.

He knew his clothes were old and shabby, but the bar of soap was still more than half full, and spending his hard-earned savings on new things felt like a total waste.

So, he just drew cold water from the well and washed them by hand.

“If I throw them out, I’ll have to buy new ones,” he said.

“I don’t have any money.”

He had a decent amount of savings, but he still thought buying new clothes and underwear was wasteful.

“Who said you had to buy them? I’m going to, so don’t worry about it.”

In truth, he wasn’t worried at all. He had just assumed Elena would pay.

Some might call him a trashy freeloader, but Yuri was completely unabashed.

She was the one telling him to throw away perfectly good clothes, and besides, the money the orphan Yuri had saved up from his pickpocketing days was probably less than her allowance for a single month.

“Still… I feel bad just taking things from you,” he said, knowing he had to put on a bit of a show.

Even if he felt shameless on the inside, he couldn't act that way out loud.

Back in Oldor, being a jerk was a good way to cut ties with her, but he was in Rutlan now. Acting like that here would only lead to a lonely, miserable life in a new city.

“I’m doing it because I want to.”

As Elena replied, her cheeks twitched.

From what he’d seen over the past week, Yuri noticed she had a strange habit of trying to suppress a smile in moments like these.

It was a stark contrast to the smug, confident grin she wore when she was showing off.

“Anyway, don’t just stand there. Come on in.”

She managed to fight back the smile, but the joy in her steps was real.

Elena was, in fact, in a very good mood.

When Elena had first set out after receiving Gordon's letter, she’d been steeling herself for the worst.

Ten years was a long time, long enough to change people completely. She knew she was a world away from the girl she'd been at the orphanage, and she assumed Yuri would be too.

She suspected he was doing nothing to be proud of, and had avoided looking into his life because, deep down, she didn't want to be disappointed in her oldest friend.

His reality had been even worse than she'd feared, it was situation that should have turned him into the trash his circumstances suggested.

But the person she met… he wasn’t a scumbag.

That simple, profound relief was the source of the happiness she felt now, a pride that was on full display as she led him through the small garden and into the house.

“There’s a bathroom on the first floor and another on the second,” she announced, planting her hands on her hips in the middle of the tidy living room.

“It’s equipped with basic magical household tools, so it’ll be way more comfortable than where you were living.”

He saw it immediately.

There was no stove that needed to be fed with firewood; the kitchen looked surprisingly modern.

“If they’re magic tools, don’t you need mana to use them?”

“Of course not. The whole mansion runs on a built-in magic stone. Just turn that valve, and the stove will light. Don't worry.”

When she showed him the bathroom, Yuri had to physically restrain himself from weeping with joy.

It wasn’t a pit toilet.

The pristine white room smelled faintly pleasant and contained a sparkling flush toilet, a sink, a bathtub, and a shower.

‘Hooray for magic.’

He was overwhelmed with gratitude for the wonders of a city where magic was part of everyday life.

“You can use the study on the first floor freely,” Elena continued, her voice growing more excited with every room she presented.

It revealed a deep, almost desperate need to show off how far she, a once-penniless orphan, had come.

“You’ve really made it,” Yuri said.

He said it because he knew it was what she wanted to hear, but the admiration in his voice was also completely genuine.

Elena immediately puffed up with pride.

‘I wonder if she realises her chin is getting higher and higher…’

With that, Elena, the 4th-Circle mage of the Dersia Mage Tower and the undisputed greatest success story of the Oldor Orphanage, turned and led the way upstairs.

“You can use that room there,” she said, gesturing to a space that was completely empty, devoid of any furniture.

“Don’t worry, I’ll buy everything you need when I go out. A bed, a desk, a chair…” Elena muttered the list to herself, counting on her fingers.

“Where’s your room?” Yuri asked.

“Right next door. And that one in the corner is a storeroom, you can go in there if you want. But my room is off-limits!”

“Don’t worry, I won’t go in.”

He couldn’t even if he wanted to. A quick glance revealed the faint shimmer of mana flowing through the door itself.

‘Security magic, probably,’ he noted. It was the only room in the house with such a ward.

“So, you’re heading out now?” Yuri asked, changing the subject.

“Is it okay if I don’t come with you?”

“Um… yeah, it’s fine,” she said, looking a little apologetic.

“I have to stop by the Mage Tower first.”

“Can I use the ingredients in the kitchen?”

Elena looked confused.

“Huh? What for?”

“We haven’t eaten yet.”

Her eyes went wide.

“You’re… going to cook?”

“I lived alone for three years after leaving the orphanage,” he said simply.

“I know how to cook.”

That was only a partial truth.

While he could cook, he hadn't been very good at it. So, he had taught himself.

During his lonely wanderings through Oldor's libraries and bookshops, searching for anything resembling a martial arts manual, he had found cookbooks instead.

He figured if his life was going to be this miserable, he at least deserved to eat well, or he might actually want to die.

He remembered a line from Elena’s last letter: [I tried cooking, and honestly, it was terrible. I'm sure I have no talent for cooking.]

He didn’t know what her definition of terrible was, but he was confident his own cooking was genuinely tasty. It was the one skill he possessed that Elena, who seemed to have everything, did not.

He pressed his advantage.

“You said you can’t cook, right?”

“Uh, yeah.”

“Then let me handle the housework,” Yuri offered smoothly.

“I feel bad freeloading, after all.”

Elena’s eyes trembled.

It was in that moment, as the offer hung in the air, that the house suddenly felt different. It had been satisfying, a symbol of her success, but it had also been hollow.

Now, with Yuri standing here promising to fill it with the smell of a home-cooked meal, that emptiness vanished.

“Alright,” she whispered, her lips moving for a moment before she composed herself.

She went to the door, but hesitated before leaving.

“What if a guest comes while you’re out?”

“No one’s coming.”

“You never know.”

“Then don’t open the door. Just say the owner is out.”

She still didn’t leave, fidgeting at the doorway.

“I’ll… I’ll be back before sunset at the latest. So, yeah. If… uh… if I’m too late and you get hungry… you can eat first.”

“I’ll wait,” he said.

The simple, steady reply seemed to fluster her completely. She whirled around, turning her back to him.

“Okay,” she managed, her voice small as she tried to hide the smile fighting its way onto her face.

“Be safe.”

He watched her go, then closed the door.

Click.

‘Finally, I’m alone.’

There was no time to relax or get lost in sentiment. He had work to do.

First, he had to figure out if it was safe to practice Regulating Qi in this mansion.

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