Even in a Dark Fantasy, You Still Have to Eat - Chapter 24

WeTried Translations

Translator/Editor: Haruto

Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried

◈ Even in a Dark Fantasy, You Still Have to Eat ◈

Chapter 24: Carving Soul Stones # 3

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They said Velzer was a butcher-type Thief, one who killed people.

At that point, were they even a Thief? Weren't they just a murderer?

Thieves with that kind of iron and blood stench were called Desperados.

“You want to make me an offer?”

The Desperado raised one eyebrow at me.

Their eyes were so narrowed that I could not tell where they were looking. Suspicious as hell.

It made me nervous for no reason.

But they must have felt the same way.

‘The card I need to play is our numerical advantage.’

There were clearly more of us.

We still had the advantage.

So I asked with forced confidence.

“Velzer, you can't pick this chest's lock, can you?”

“What makes you think that?”

“Come on, we both know what's going on. That guy outside who stepped on a trap and died? He was probably the lock expert, wasn't he?”

I figured Velzer had come to explore this temple with a partner.

Desperado Velzer handled combat.

And the corpse shot full of arrows handled traps and locks.

Velzer smiled faintly at my words.

“You are a Trickster, aren't you?”

“My name is Yore.”

“I mean the way you travel through the night. People skilled at deceiving, stealing, and causing trouble are called Tricksters.”

“I'm innocent and honest, so I guess I'm not a Trickster.”

“...I don't normally deal with Tricksters. I find them unpleasant because there's no telling what they might do.”

“Is that so? Then we'll be going.”

“...But as you said, I can't open this chest alone.”

I knew it!

As I cheered inwardly, Hermit asked me a question.

“Newbie, what are you trying to do?”

“Be quiet. I've got a plan.”

I held up all five fingers.

“A fair split. Half and half. I've given this a lot of thought and made plenty of concessions, so don't even think about bargaining. If you refuse, we leave.”

“Is that all?”

“One more thing. I'll open the chest, take our share, and leave the room. Then you can take your share from the chest and leave. Understood?”

“What guarantee do I have that you'll leave my share in the chest?”

“None. But a deal requires mutual trust. Just as I don't trust you, don't trust me either. That's how trust is built.”

“Newbie, what are you even talking about?”

Hermit poked my side.

I did not answer.

I had no idea what I was talking about either.

Honestly, words did not matter.

It was hard to read anything from Velzer's ever-smiling face.

But they must have been more than a little suspicious and confused.

“Velzer, from our point of view, it would be a bigger problem if you suddenly changed your mind the moment we opened the chest. That's why we take half, put some distance between us, and then you take your share.”

“That's right!”

Hammer spoke up in support.

“Velzer, do as Yore says. Otherwise, we won't make a deal and we'll leave. We've already filled our quota, so we don't need this chest that badly.”

I had felt this before, but despite looking stiff and dull, Hammer seemed like someone with a pretty shrewd mind.

That was probably why Hammer was the leader.

Hammer continued.

“No matter how confident you are in your skills, coming here to explore with only two people means you must have been desperate for Ether. As far as I know, the Emperor of the Abyss collects quite a bit in tribute too...”

That bastard, the Emperor of the Abyss, collected tribute too?

A real emperor, then.

Velzer raised both hands.

“Fine. We'll do it your way.”

Got them!

I crouched in front of the chest.

Then I started feeling around it.

“This is a Silver Chest, so it won't be easy to open. Hmm... It'll take some time. About five minutes. No, maybe ten. Wait a little.”

“Ten minutes? Newbie, you...”

Tap.

Hermit tried to say something, but Felix struck her side with his sword hilt.

“Ah!”

Hermit glared at Felix from beneath her pointed hat, but Felix remained calm.

‘Felix isn't as oblivious as I thought.’

Ptooey, ptooey.

I spat into my palm and rubbed my hands together.

Everyone would understand this hand signal, right?

# # #

“Are you not finished yet?”

Velzer asked me.

That was already the second time.

‘They must be getting impatient.’

I remembered what One-Eye had told me before.

“My blessing isn't all-purpose, you know. With a 「Silver-rank」 chest, the chance of unlocking it is below one percent even if I use my blessing. If you don't like it, open it yourself.”

After that, I looked toward the entrance.

The way we had to escape.

When I sniffed, I smelled oil coming from the door.

It was probably oil on the mechanism that opened and closed it.

When I listened closely, I could hear a soft rustling sound too.

Like sand falling.

‘An hourglass?’

Click.

About ten minutes passed.

“Ahem. Then I'll open it.”

I opened the chest and put my share into the 「Black Bundle」.

Velzer, who had been watching us closely, showed interest in my bundle.

“I see. You were a candidate for Emperor of the Abyss.”

“Hey, back off. Back off. I might lock the chest again. Then we'll both have a headache.”

I threatened Velzer and slowly moved away from the chest.

Without saying a word, Felix, Hammer, and Hermit also pointed their weapons at Velzer.

Step by step.

Once we backed out of the room, Velzer looked inside the chest.

“Yore, the chest is empty.”

“Well, that's...”

I did not have time to say anything.

Something like a heated wire skimmed past my throat.

Whoosh, clang!

It was a dagger.

Velzer had drawn and thrown it at me at a speed I could not see.

Luckily, it only scratched my skin.

“Haa... This is why you shouldn't listen to Tricksters.”

“Hehehe, face the wall and reflect on what you've done!”

I operated the lever beside the door.

Rumble, boom.

The stone door that had risen upward quickly closed.

“Done!”

Anything that opened would close sooner or later.

This secret room had a door structure similar to the boss room we explored at the university.

That door had opened and closed too.

So I figured this one would work the same way, and I was right.

“Run! I checked, and there is no mechanism inside the room to open the door! Once it closes, you can't get out!”

I took everything that had been in the chest.

Then I trapped that terrifying human butcher inside the now-empty secret room!

I knew it was only a temporary solution.

I did not think that butcher would stay trapped in there for long.

‘If they have a return scroll, they might get out somehow and come back here soon.’

“Hammer! Let's get to the exit!”

“Let's go! It's nearby! The exit is nearby!”

It was a full-on escape.

We ran straight for the temple room where the exit was.

“Karbar!”

“Dotraki!”

Stone Men appeared along the way.

But every time Felix and Hammer swung their weapons, they turned to dust.

“Hey! Yore! What are you doing?”

“We have to pick up the Ether!”

Leave Ether lying on the ground?

I could not stand it!

My feet would not move!

“That lunatic... Hey! Get over here!”

Hammer grabbed me under the arm.

I struggled, but Hammer was too strong for me to escape!

“Aaah! My Ether!”

Clink.

My heart felt like it was tearing apart as I watched Ether fall to the floor.

If I had a magnet pet, I would not have to suffer like this!

I needed to find a way to hatch that egg soon!

When we reached the exit, Hammer quickly operated it. When I came to my senses, I was standing in a temple filled with headless statues.

【Blessed, that was reckless.】

I turned and saw Asibarr sitting on a fallen stone pillar, clicking their tongue.

Asibarr jumped down and walked toward me.

【Avoid fighting the Blessed of Gaija whenever possible.】

“What is a Blessed of Gaija?”

【Gaija has been counted among the Three Fiends since ancient times. They are obsessive and cruel, and most of their Blessed are the same.】

Asibarr pointed at my neck.

【Look. They have already left a mark.】

It was where the dagger had grazed me earlier.

【The moment you enter the Land of Night, that Velzer will find it easier to track you. That is the kind of blessing it is. For you, it is a curse.】

“Ugh...”

That human butcher would have an easier time tracking me?

Of all the blessings they could have chosen, they picked that one.

What a psychopath stalker!

It was making me scared for no reason!

【It will be a fitting lesson for someone as careless as you.】

【Bring Ether next time. I will strengthen 「Black Eyes」 for you.】

“I can already use Black Eyes well. Is there something even better if you strengthen it?”

【It would not be fun if I told you everything.】

【Kakakakaka!】

What a strange laugh.

I held out fragments from a Stone Man to Asibarr.

Since I had met an idol, I felt like I should give them something.

【A Stone Man's stone? What am I supposed to do with this junk?】

“Sabranik liked them.”

【So the Three Fiends really are a thing of the past.】

【You have told me something amusing, so I will let you go today.】

# # #

When I opened my eyes, I was in the Strategy Room.

Hammer, Felix, and Hermit were standing beside me.

“You...”

Felix glared at me, then turned and left.

“Hammer, what's with him?”

“Yore, you ignored the retreat signal. I think that's why he's angry.”

Hermit answered for Hammer.

“No one got hurt, and we made a pile of money. What's his problem? What a nasty bastard!”

That was true, but after calming down, I realized my actions had been reckless.

It had been a gamble.

Party hunting was difficult because there was so much to consider.

“So, Newbie, what did you get from the Silver Chest? I hope another skill book came out like last time.”

“We need to prepare to carve the Breakthrough Stone and divide the rewards too. Ugh, there's so much to do! Yore, ever since you came along, you've been keeping us busier than ever! Hahaha!”

What had I put in the Black Bundle?

I had to take it out to find out.

Just as I reached into the bundle with anticipation...

“Thief Yore, are you back?”

A group of strangers entered the Strategy Room.

All of them wore cloaks with sun patterns around their shoulders or necks.

The moment Hammer saw them, Hammer clicked their tongue.

“Damn it, the inquisitors are here already.”

“Inquisitors?”

“It must be because of the Erdari incident last night.”

Come to think of it, the bounty hunter D.S. had also complained that the military would come to investigate and turn the incident inside out.

As I looked over the group, Hammer whispered to me.

“Yore, never cause trouble with those people.”

“How do I avoid causing trouble?”

“Seriously... Just answer everything they ask honestly! Anyway, make a good impression!”

They were asking me to do the two things I was worst at.

If I could do that, I would not have ended up here.

Step, step.

Soon, a tall woman with black hair braided over the front of her shoulder and striking purple eyes approached me through the cloaked men.

She was tall enough to look down at me.

“Nice to meet you. I am Inquisitor Major General Jeremiah Dantes.”

“Dantes?”

Wait, wasn't Dantes the name of the noble family that had sent me toward the gallows?

A chill ran down my spine. The woman examined her fingertips with a blunt, expressionless face.

“I will ask you several questions. Before answering them, you will take this pill.”

“What kind of medicine is it?”

“It contains worm eggs that hatch inside your body. Since they hatch at the same temperature as the human body, less than five minutes after you swallow it, they will burrow through every blood vessel in your body.”

“Ugh, then I don't want to take it.”

“These worms are called Emotion-Eating Worms. They react to extreme tension and fear. If you lie while carrying these worms inside you...”

“...What happens?”

“You don't need to know, Yore. You will tell only the truth, won't you?”

Honestly, I was not confident about that!

“Relax. I will give you an antidote after I finish asking a few questions.”

She was vicious.

I looked toward Hammer. Hammer stood with their arms folded and tapped their fingers.

It meant I should accept the offer if I could.

“Or there is another way. Easier for me, and more painful for you.”

“Fine, give it here.”

Gulp.