WeTried Translations
Translator: Joy
Editor: Joy
Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried
◈ Damned Transmigration ◈
Chapter 63: The witch’s house
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Today had gone far differently from Yuri’s plans.
Originally, Yuri had intended to use The Pointing Flame to infiltrate the heretics’ gathering itself.
He would meet the other transmigrators there, invoke Cat Panties’ name, and mix in lies about being from the same hometown as UrMumSpammer and having had secret, private conversations with him in the real world to draw out information.
Then, when the Bishop arrived, Yuri would look for an opening and quietly slip out of the gathering to avoid the baptism that would make him a heretic. If possible, he would even attempt to assassinate the Bishop.
And if things went well enough for him to reach the point of assassinating the Bishop, he would squeeze as much information as possible about the heretics out of the Bishop before killing them.
All of those plans had been ruined by the Sword Dragon’s sudden outburst and the Young Leader’s intrusion.
‘Still, the results aren’t bad, are they?’
For one thing, Yuri had quickly killed The Pointing Flame before he could spout any more nonsense. He had also killed the Bishop, Withered Crone, a sixth-tier mage, without suffering any significant damage.
He had failed to communicate with the other transmigrators, but instead, he had become acquainted with the Orsia Family’s Sword Dragon and the Demonic Cult’s Young Leader.
Saving the Young Leader’s life was likely a considerable achievement. Thanks to that, Sword Shadow, one of the Seven Evils, had even called him a benefactor.
The Young Leader probably had a good impression of Yuri as well. He had saved the Young Leader’s life and put a mask on their face.
And it was not just the Young Leader.
The Sword Dragon, walking a little ahead of them, was also showing Yuri a great deal of interest. When Yuri had first seen him suddenly lose his temper at the gathering, he had thought the man was just another lunatic bastard. But after exchanging a few words, he seemed far more decent than that bastard from the Namgung Family.
Yuri had also learned where Withered Crone lived. It was unfortunate that she had self-destructed before he could interrogate her, but searching her residence might uncover more information about the Sect of Chaos.
“The Young Leader of the Demonic Cult, Sword Shadow of the Seven Evils, and the Sword Dragon of the Orsia Family.”
Haryeong, who had been walking quietly beside him for once, spoke up. Tapping the fox mask hooked in the hair at the side of her head with one finger, she glanced at Yuri.
“As expected of you, Yuri-nim. The 3.5 Billion Man who shocked Rutlan two years ago. Now that you have truly set out to make your mark, you cause an uproar wherever you go.”
“So you have finally loosened up a little.”
In the past, Yuri would have tried to let Haryeong’s nonsense slide without arguing back. But things were different now, and the two years he had spent alone had changed him.
“You were so frightened earlier that you kept your mouth tightly shut. Now that the ghost is gone, you seem to be feeling better?”
“Yuri-nim, you are under a strange misunderstanding. Frightened? I have never been frightened.”
“Really? Earlier, you had your shoulders drawn up and were calling for your mother, even though she was not here.”
“Mentioning my parents is crossing a line.”
“Wait, Haryeong-nim. Do not move.”
As Haryeong’s expression turned serious, Yuri’s did as well. He stopped where he stood and glared at the space behind her.
Haryeong’s body went rigid. She stopped walking and stared at Yuri with tense eyes.
“W-What is it?”
“Behind you!”
At Yuri’s sudden shout, Haryeong jumped straight into the air.
The sight filled Yuri with a strange nostalgia.
His studio apartment back on Earth.
The phone he would hold while lying in bed before falling asleep.
The short videos, barely a minute long, that he would mindlessly scroll through.
The ones that had especially captivated Yuri were videos of cats doing surprising and stupid things. Many of them showed cats jumping in fright or scrambling away in a hurry.
Haryeong’s reaction was exactly like one of those cats. Her tail had not puffed up, and the fur on her back had not stood on end, but her tightly hunched shoulders were raised high instead.
“I was mistaken.”
Yuri spoke first, before Haryeong could say anything after landing.
“...”
Haryeong pressed her lips together and glared at Yuri. There was more killing intent in her eyes than when she had stared down the Blood Fiend two years ago, and her eyebrows formed such sharp diagonals that they could have set a new record.
“Why are you looking at me like that?”
“Because I genuinely want to kill you.”
“Let us not use such harsh words between us.”
“Between us? What are we to each other?”
“An older sister and her younger brother, acquaintances, close friends...”
“Alright, Yuri. Do you want to die?”
Haryeong snapped the moment he finished listing their relationship, as though she had been waiting for it.
“Your manners toward your older sister are fucking awful. Where did you learn such a rotten prank?”
“Th-That language is rather crude...”
“If you play a prank like that one more time, your older sister will kill you.”
After saying that, Haryeong composed her expression. She did her best to ignore the chill of cold sweat running down her spine.
“You have become quite nasty just because your martial arts have improved. You were rather cute when you were weak and innocent. But do not forget this, Yuri-nim. I am an assassin skilled at stabbing from behind rather than from the front.”
“Yes, Dark Blossom-nim.”
“Do you know what it means when a title contains a flower?”
Haryeong returned to her usual blank expression and puffed out her chest.
“Young age. Outstanding looks. Exceptional skill. All three must be present for a flower to be included in one’s title.”
Flowers and Dragons carried great meaning in the titles of the younger generation. Particularly exceptional young men had Dragons in their titles, while young women had Flowers.
There were exceptions, such as Snow Princess Yeonri Eunha. She was the grandniece of the Silver Empress of War, the heir of the renowned martial Yeonri Family, and the inheritor of the Silver Empress’s teachings, so she was known as the Snow Princess.
“But Haryeong-nim, you are not exactly young, are you?”
The moment Yuri blurted that out, Haryeong, who had endured a great deal, could no longer hold back.
Thwack!
Haryeong’s foot struck Yuri’s shin.
“Ow.”
“Do not make that sound when it does not even hurt.”
It was Haryeong, the one who had kicked him, who felt a sharp pain shoot up her leg.
“I understand that Yuri-nim has many misunderstandings about me. My age is a secret, but I am not old enough to be unable to call myself a flower.”
“So how old are you?”
“It is a secret.”
While the two spoke so familiarly, the Sword Dragon kept his mouth shut.
In truth, he wanted to join their conversation, but Thunder Cloud and Dark Blossom seemed much closer than he had expected. It was difficult for him to intrude.
‘Thunder Cloud... Dark Blossom...’
The Sword Dragon’s experience was not particularly limited. He knew the titles Moonlight Play and Fist Wolf, but he knew nothing of the title Thunder Cloud.
He vaguely remembered hearing about a young man who had earned the recognition of those two years ago. The reason he remembered nothing else was that the young man’s movements had not been widely known.
But he had heard of Dark Blossom.
More precisely, he had heard of Marigold of the Dersia Mage Tower. The fearsome young witch who was now called Mad Thunder more often than Marigold.
Dark Blossom was known as Mad Thunder’s bodyguard. An assassin of Salhomun whom Heavenly Thunder had personally connected to her. Her true identity was not properly known, but even taking her profession into account, she possessed exceptional skill and beauty, enough to earn the title Dark Blossom.
‘This bastard suddenly loses his temper around heretics, but now he is just keeping his mouth shut and watching for an opening.’
Yuri found himself thinking that as he watched the Sword Dragon repeatedly glance their way.
“Is there something you wish to say to us?”
The Sword Dragon seemed to have difficulty speaking first, so Yuri asked instead. Since things had come to this, it would be better to become friendly with the Sword Dragon as well.
“I believe he is looking because my face is more beautiful than he expected.”
Haryeong muttered with an expressionless face.
“This is all because Yuri-nim spoke nonsense earlier. Sword Dragon-nim must have thought my face was so ruined that it needed to be hidden by a mask. But then I remove it, and there is a lovely face beneath. It is understandable that he would be surprised.”
“You are shameless.”
“So you are saying my face is ruined?”
“That is not what I meant.”
Yuri did not want to openly admit that she was right, so he said nothing more.
The Sword Dragon, who had been glancing back and hesitating, cleared his throat a few times before slowing his pace.
“I was surprised by the face behind the mask. And... I was also surprised to learn that Thunder Cloud was using a disguise technique.”
“Earlier, you were cursing at me and speaking informally. Why are you suddenly speaking so politely?”
“At the time, we had not even exchanged names.”
The Sword Dragon matched Yuri’s stride with an awkward expression.
“Hmm. Forgive the rude question, but I truly know nothing about the title Thunder Cloud.”
“I have hardly been active in public.”
“Have you perhaps committed wicked deeds?”
“I have not done anything especially virtuous, but I have not done anything wicked either.”
“Hmm... Well, I do not discriminate between the Righteous and Unorthodox paths. I, Estor Orsia, believe I can be friends with anyone so long as they are not of the Demonic Cult or heretics.”
The Sword Dragon cleared his throat again.
“But what is the relationship between the two of you? From what I have heard, you seem to have known each other for quite some time.”
“Yuri-nim was the childhood friend of Lady Elena, whom I served until recently,” Haryeong answered.
“We interacted rather deeply two years ago, and I even taught Yuri-nim the basics of martial arts.”
“The basics of martial arts...?”
The Sword Dragon’s body swayed from shock. His eyes widened as he stared at Yuri.
“Lady Elena must mean Mad... no, Marigold. You learned the basics of martial arts two years ago? Then that means Thunder Cloud, you are twenty-two, the same age as me, and only entered the martial path two years ago?”
“That is correct.”
At that answer, the Sword Dragon stopped walking altogether.
“Ha... Hahaha...”
In the end, the Sword Dragon let out a hollow laugh.
“Indeed, indeed... The world truly is vast.”
After laughing for a while, the Sword Dragon looked blankly up at the sky and murmured.
“This is not a boast, but I was born with talent in an excellent environment. I received a great deal of support and took pride in never lacking in effort. Naturally... I believed that, among those close to my age, I was the most outstanding.”
Among the younger generation were Marigold of the Dersia Mage Tower, Snow Princess of the Yeonri Family, Hegemon Dragon of the Hwangbo Family, and True Dragon of the Severing Blade Sect.
The Sword Dragon had always believed himself the finest among those spoken of alongside him.
“But today, the sky that I had narrowed so foolishly has collapsed. The Demonic Cult’s Young Leader, whose rumours were so plentiful, did not seem greatly different from me in age or ability. And Thunder Cloud, you... are the same age and at the same tier as me, yet you have only been training in martial arts for two years...”
“It was thanks to fortuitous encounters.”
Yuri answered quickly.
“It is true that Fist Wolf taught me martial arts two years ago, but I have also obtained several fortuitous encounters.”
“Fortuitous encounters...?”
“Yes. When I was in Rutlan, Heavenly Thunder-nim gave me an elixir and a martial art. I also had a fortuitous encounter in Logos.”
“Logos? You mean the Rift of Chaos?”
“Yes. As Sword Dragon-nim knows, fortuitous encounters occasionally occur within Rifts.”
The Orsia Family’s greatest headache was the refugees occupying the land outside their city, and the Ranalsa Rift from fifty years ago that had produced those refugees. Because Panteleon was close to Ranalsa, the Orsia knights were obligated to manage the Ranalsa Rift.
Because of that, the Sword Dragon knew much about the fortuitous encounters that occurred in Rifts. In fact, quite a few Orsia knights had benefited from opportunities that appeared when the Ranalsa Rift went berserk.
“Is that not right?”
Yuri spoke while glancing at Haryeong.
There had been no such fortuitous encounter in Logos two years ago. But Haryeong was not so tactless as to reveal the truth of that day here.
“Do you know what Yuri-nim’s nickname was when he was in Rutlan?”
“I do not.”
“The 3.5 Billion Man.”
The Sword Dragon had heard the nickname earlier, but he still did not understand it. As he blinked with a puzzled expression, Haryeong continued in a calm voice.
“Yuri-nim came to the city with nothing but the clothes on his back and earned 3.5 billion in less than a month.”
“...!”
“I have met many people, but I have never seen anyone as lucky as Yuri-nim. In my view, Yuri-nim’s greatest talent is not martial arts. It is simply luck.”
“Hmm...”
“Yuri-nim proved that absurd luck in Logos as well. Before we arrived in Logos, I joked that perhaps we would encounter a fortuitous opportunity. I never imagined we truly would.”
“Hmm...”
“Even after leaving Logos, he encountered several more fortuitous opportunities. Without them, he would not have reached his current realm.”
Haryeong did not explain each opportunity, and the Sword Dragon did not ask further. It was only natural to keep fortuitous encounters, particularly those related to martial arts, secret.
‘It seems he obtained an elixir and a martial art.’
The Sword Dragon accepted that explanation and grinned.
“Certainly. Thunder Cloud, it does seem that you are fortunate. I benefited from that fortune as well. If it had been only us, killing that old woman, Withered Crone, would not have been easy. It would not have been impossible, but we would have had to prepare ourselves for a great deal.”
“Even so, I consider becoming entangled with the Demonic Cult bad luck.”
“Ha ha, perhaps. But I gained a great deal today. I killed a heretic Bishop and learned that the world is vast. I realized that I was a frog in a well, and I learned something about the Young Leader, who until now had been surrounded only by rumours. I even crossed swords with Sword Shadow, who is said to be close to the Sword Fiend...”
The Sword Dragon composed his expression for a moment before looking at Yuri and Haryeong.
“I was also given the chance to turn an astonishing meeting into a connection. Though I achieved the feat of wiping out heretics, I, Estor Orsia, believe that meeting the two of you was the greatest fortune.”
“You flatter us.”
“No, it is not flattery. Therefore, Thunder Cloud and Dark Blossom, I hope that you will not let our meeting end here.”
The Sword Dragon respectfully bowed his head.
“I would like to invite you as guests of the Orsia Family. I swear upon my honour and my name that you will be treated without any inconvenience.”
“How could we refuse when you invite us with such earnestness? We would be honoured. Please raise your head.”
Only after hearing the answer did the Sword Dragon smile and raise his head.
“Thank you for not refusing. We will soon arrive at that old witch’s residence, so let us inspect it quickly and return together.”
“Alright, Sword Dragon.”
Haryeong answered unexpectedly. The Sword Dragon blinked.
“Did you not say you were twenty-two?”
“Th-That is true, but...”
“Haryeong-nim, please do not.”
“Your manner of speaking makes the atmosphere too stiff, so I simply decided to make a bold joke.”
“Hmm... I, I do not mind.”
The Sword Dragon answered with a stammer.
“Alright, Sword Dragon.”
Yuri tried saying it as well.
The Sword Dragon’s expression briefly showed a complex mixture of emotions.
“Alright, Thunder Cloud.”
After considering it for a moment, the Sword Dragon nodded with difficulty and returned the joke.
* * *
Withered Crone’s residence was an old, ordinary building deep inside an alley in a bustling district. Like The Pointing Flame’s shack, it contained complicated magic.
Fortunately, the magic did not activate simply because someone approached. Perhaps it had been designed so delicately to flaunt the owner’s high rank. The protective spells would activate only if someone forcibly opened the door and tried to intrude.
“Magic.”
The Sword Dragon murmured as Yuri stood still and stared at the building, trying to discern the types of magic involved.
If someone forced their way in, a signal would immediately be sent to Withered Crone. Then, according to her will, the magic would attack and respond.
Fortunately, Withered Crone was already dead, so there should be no great problem with forcibly breaking the magic.
“Can you dispel it?”
“It is beyond my skill with magic.”
The Sword Dragon nodded and drew his sword. It was the sword Sword Shadow had broken in half.
“Then I will cut it.”
“Can you?”
“Thunder Cloud, you saw it earlier, did you not? There is nothing Orsia’s Light Sword cannot cut.”
His words contained exaggeration and bravado, but it was true that the Sword Dragon’s Light Sword had cut through the magic Withered Crone had poured out with a single strike.
Yuri and Haryeong naturally took up positions nearby to guard the Sword Dragon.
Meanwhile, the Sword Dragon concentrated sword aura into his broken blade.
Rumble!
Golden sword aura churned and clung to the sword.
‘About three minutes...’
After enough time had passed to prepare a cup of noodles, the Light Sword was complete. Perhaps because he had used it once already, beads of sweat formed on the Sword Dragon’s forehead. No matter how deep his internal energy was, using the Light Sword at his current level seemed to place a great burden on him.
Crackle, crackle...!
As the Sword Dragon pointed the Light Sword forward and approached, the magic embedded in the building reacted. The enormous mana contained in the Light Sword collided with the surrounding mana, causing the dormant and unactivated spell formulae to distort and create cracks in space.
‘I see.’
The reason the Light Sword could cut through magic in one blow was that it created fractures in magic like that. Those fractures were, metaphorically speaking, perforated lines in the magic. Cutting them with the Light Sword would neatly split the magic in two.
“Hup.”
With a short shout, the Sword Dragon swung the Light Sword.
Slash!
The golden strike cut through the fractures, and the magic scattered.
“It is done.”
The Sword Dragon let out a long breath and dismissed the Light Sword. It was difficult and burdensome to use, but he had confirmed that Orsia’s Light Sword, like the Heavenly Demon’s Divine Art, could contend with magic.
‘Could I do that too?’
The Heavenly Art of Annihilating Evil could burn mana and magic, so it seemed possible if Yuri made a serious attempt.
Sacred Flame Release, an internal attack technique, ignored defensive qi such as protective aura and burned the inside of its target. If he twisted that principle in reverse, he might be able to deal with magic more skillfully and in more varied ways.
‘I should think about it.’
Seeing the Heavenly Demon’s Divine Art and the Light Sword had broadened Yuri’s thinking. He did not particularly want to agree with being called the 3.5 Billion Man or lucky, even though he had said it himself, but seeing those techniques beforehand had indeed been fortunate.
“Let us go inside.”
The Sword Dragon wiped away the sweat running down his forehead and took the lead.
‘Could there be a grimoire?’
Information about the heretics was important, but Yuri also had hopes for magic books.
Withered Crone was a sixth-tier mage.
To be honest, Yuri did not care for the magic of the Rudella Mage Tower or the magic Withered Crone herself pursued. Still, a high-tier grimoire had value even if he did not learn or use it directly.
Creak.
Thanks to cutting through the large amount of magic cleanly, there was no counterattack when they opened the door.
“She lived well.”
Following the Sword Dragon inside, Yuri honestly voiced his first impression.
The building’s exterior was old, but its interior was dazzling. It could not be compared to The Pointing Flame’s shack.
However, there was a strong artificial scent in the air. It was not foul, but the air was unnaturally clean.
The reason soon became obvious.
In the first room they opened, large glass jars filled the shelves. Inside were human and animal organs, chunks of flesh, and similar things.
“...”
The shelves stood among lavishly decorated furniture, making the room unpleasant and eerie. Yuri glanced at Haryeong’s expressionless face, then leaned toward her and opened his mouth.
“Boo.”
Smack!
A fierce slap struck Yuri’s cheek.
Yuri failed to dodge it and blinked. Haryeong glared at him with cold eyes and raised her hand again.
“I said you would die.”
“I am sorry.”
Yuri honestly apologized for taking the joke too far.
“Let us search the place instead of dying.”
“...?”
“I am sorry.”
Yuri apologized again.
Haryeong’s expression twisted slightly before she finally responded.
“Our Yuri has lost it.”
Footnotes:
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